


Whiskers

by sunshinekat



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:27:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4202757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinekat/pseuds/sunshinekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joseph is a half human half cat who hides who he is, and loves Sebastian from a distance. Or, at least that's how it was before Leslie Withers appeared in their lives. [SLASH][catboys]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A/N what I have other stories to update? sure, sure, but Joseph as a cat boy was too good to resist. so suck it. iloveyouguyspleasedontleaveme

Whiskers

 

There was this one time where Kidman and Joseph were doing surveillance together, sitting in a car in a dark parking lot watching a motel waiting for their potential unsub to come out and maybe it was the silence, or the time of night or just random thought but Kidman who had been unusually easy going that day said something odd.

“I think…if he were any kind of animal, Castellanos would be a dog…right Joseph?” She glanced at him and Joseph didn’t react, not because it was funny or that he didn’t understand what she meant. It was a stray comment, a conversation starter, something that obviously wasn’t meant to be taken seriously by anybody.

But Joseph took it seriously. Why? Because he was hiding a pair of ears and tail under his uniform and nobody knew.

 

Kidman frowned at him and Joseph quickly scoffed, “a stray dog, you mean.” He said with a smirk.

Kidman chuckled, “Not a stray…more like a domesticated dog, I’m not sure what kind of breed but-“

“And you could be a boa?” Joseph interrupted, he heard her quick intake of breath, “excuse me? Just what are you implying?”

Joseph smiled, “boas make great pets, and they can also be very loving. Just don’t threaten or piss them off.”

Kidman sighed at him and punched his arm, “that’s just like you, Joseph.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, “you know; that kid Castellanos adopted is kind of like a kitten, so I guess that’s why I thought he was dog-like.”

Seb had taken a stray under his wing recently, an eighteen year old boy called Leslie Withers, orphaned during one their cases a few months back. Kidman was right, Joseph supposed, when she said the boy was like a kitten, Withers was very shy, extremely so, he seemed to suffer from some form of social phobia that made it hard for him to communicate with people, at least until he met Sebastian and Joseph just let that happen, when he saw the way the boy calmed down, the way they connected, Sebastian acted like a guardian and father figure to the boy.

Something small and dark and spiny in the very center of his chest wasn’t happy about that but he was able to push that aside in that instance. Nothing had changed.

Kidman glanced at him and smiled, “but then, Seb wouldn’t be who he is now if you hadn’t adopted him yourself so there’s no need to look so grim.”

Joseph smiled thinly at that, “just passing on good vibes, am I?”

He wasn’t jealous of Leslie Withers. He just wasn’t.

 

As half human and half animal Joseph took precautions to keep his human guise, besides the usual faking medical and physical exams, he had become adept at hiding what most of his kind could not: his ears and tail. He mostly wore hats and long coats on bad days. But usually he was able to keep his ears hidden under his hair, using his less than phenomenal human hearing while outside of home. His only real issue was Spring and heats and all that distasteful business whereupon he would just take a few weeks off and find some secluded place where he could go through it without worrying about anyone finding out.

He understood that in order to stay safe he had to keep himself hidden.

This in turn kept him far from the one thing he wanted the most…the one _person_ he wanted the most.

Sebastian Castellanos.

The human’s life had been a tragic one, he’d lost his family, he suffered from alcohol addiction and Joseph found himself doing what he’d never even considered doing for a human, he helped.

He gave Sebastian his time, he pulled him out of the wreck his life had become but all the while he kept himself at a distance. It was frustrating to him, because that distance hadn’t affected how deeply he’d fallen in love with the man. And now they were _friends, partners, co-workers,_ they were distant.

The rainy March morning that Joseph entered the office was the moment when he recalled that odd conversation with Kidman. He walked in and saw Sebastian sleeping on his desk. Nobody else had come in yet and the office was cold from the air conditioning being on all night. Joseph approached, smiling slightly at the idea of Sebastian actually being half dog, he found himself wondering what kind of dog he’d be. A bassett hound? With big sad eyes? Or a German Shepherd fierce and loyal. Sebastian was loyal, he was fierce…but he was also kind, his heart was miles wide and he struggled to fit everyone in it, he cared too much sometimes and Joseph often found himself having to be the cold one, the mean one, the rational one. An opposing force to Sebastian’s rampant desire to do the right thing.

His most recent task being taking in Leslie Withers.

Joseph knew better, he did, but the distance from which he adored Sebastian Castellanos had no barriers, there was no trail or walls and every emotion he felt moved to him and so jealousy covered him like a sandstorm.

He could not escape it and so he suffered through it alone.

Joseph approached the slumbering human and touched his shoulder, he gazed down at the back of Seb’s head and longed to run his fingers through his hair, but he held back with a sigh.

“Seb, wake up.” He said with a gentle shake.

Sebastian moved, made a sound and his eyes opened slowly, he glanced at Joseph, “Huh,”

Joseph smiled a little Sebastian was so different when he slept.

“I’ll get you some coffee.”

Their morning alone together made Joseph forget about the condition his life was in, about the problems that he could not just solve as easily as others did. He found himself conversing with Sebastian more that day, with the others in their unit also; even Kidman had told him he was in a good mood that day.

But the rain hadn’t stopped, and the end of the day was coming closer. It was then that Joseph found himself soaking in the rain looking under the hood of his car, something was wrong with it, he pulls his phone out but the battery is dead, he turns back to the office and sees Sebastian coming out, he slams the hood shut and makes like he’s about to leave but it’s too late.

“Car trouble?” Seb asks, he looks under the hood and makes a phone call.

“I called a tow-truck; also you can charge your phone in my car.”

Joseph does that and the world turns against him, the storm caused flooding and made it unsafe to go downtown where he lived. Sebastian and Joseph sat in Sebastian’s car listening to the report. Seb glanced at Joseph, soaking wet and sitting in his car looking horrified.

“You can-

_Spend the night with me._

_“_ No.” Joseph says, “I’ll spend the night here.”

Then he pauses and sighs, “Thank you for the offer though.”

Sebastian just stares, “you look like hell.” He says, “It’s just one night…wait, are you worried about Les? Don’t worry about him; he’s just a-…” Sebastian frowned suddenly and stared down at the steering wheel, like he was thinking deeply about something.

“Actually, I need your help with something.”

It was Joseph’s turn to frown; he waited for Sebastian to clarify.

“But it’s better if I show you.”

Joseph felt a twinge in his belly, this meant spending the night, this mean showering, this meant that he had to be very, _very_ careful. He was glad that he’d tightly gelled his hair today, waterproof, otherwise he would have ran.

 

Sebastian lived in a house in a quiet neighborhood, Joseph had only visited a few times, it was a four bedroom, two bathroom home with a large spacious kitchen and dining room and a living room. Hardwood floors and pastel floral wallpaper in most rooms, it had been owned by an elderly couple before Sebastian bought it. He hadn’t changed anything about it, but that wasn’t surprising since Sebastian wasn’t home often, well…at least that’s how it used to be.

Joseph followed Sebastian up the driveway and into the house. His senses were assaulted by an odd scent, and his interest was piqued.

Sebastian sighed, he took off his coat, “right…you can hang your stuff wherever,” he disappeared down the hall leaving Joseph alone with the smell, it was thick and sweet and made Joseph feel lightheaded. That was when he gasped sharply and snatched Sebastian’s coat off a chair and pushed it to his face.

He needed to go, but the weather had worsened and the rain was pouring down like the sky was falling. His heart began to pound as he panicked and backed against the door.

That was when Sebastian stepped out holding Wither’s hand in his, except it wasn’t the human that Joseph had met when they first found him in that godawful institution. He had a fluffy pair of pale white cat ears on his head and held his huge cat tail nervously in his other hand.

The boy wasn’t human, he was like Joseph, and that meant…well, that meant that now the stakes had risen.

It was one thing to lose Seb to a human, that he’d expected, but someone like him? The rules were different.

And sweet Leslie Withers was going to learn that the hard way.

 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Joseph can handle seeing Sebastian give affection to other people, he does it all the time. But Leslie Withers is crossing that line very, very quickly.

a/n if you have a friend or loved one who suffers from Wondering Mind syndrome, it's time to listen. ty for the comments and kudos guys. 

Whiskers

He was a frail looking thing, wide eyed, pale blonde with the fluffy Main Coon ears and those pretty blue eyes, he was holding his tail with small hands as he walked out of the hallway to stand beside Sebastian. Sebastian looked pointedly at Joseph waiting for him to react, Joseph hadn’t practiced this reaction as of yet, not expecting to ever encounter another of his kind. Right now however, his instincts were telling him to hiss and claw that boy away from _his_ Sebastian.

But humans weren’t like that, or at least not any that Joseph had met, so he gave Sebastian a confused smile, “That’s a cute costume.”

Sebastian shook his head, “no, they’re real, Joseph.”

Joseph kept his smile in place, “is this some kind of-“

“Just come here and touch him!” Seb barked, Leslie Withers jumped in fright and looked up at Sebastian with a betrayed look. Sebastian floundered, touched the boy’s slender shoulders, “wait, you remember Joseph right?”

Leslie Withers was trembling, his big eyes filled with unshed tears but he shook his head, “nice?”

Oh God he only spoke with one word at a time. Joseph shoved his hands in his pockets, he was thinking about just saying that he was allergic to cats and then leave. But the prospect of leaving Sebastian alone with that _boy_ was now something he couldn’t stomach. Withers was nothing like he’d been in the facility they’d found him in. He’d been scared, tormented, the head doctor there hadn’t been present which is why they’d gotten away with taking him out but now there was very little left of that frightened boy, now there was a young man who obviously was depending on Sebastian to care for him.

Just like a pet cat.

The thought made Joseph bristle, is that how it was going to be? He was reconsidering this whole, liking from a distance, this whole hiding his identity because if he knew Sebastian liked cats then-

“I didn’t know you liked cats.” Joseph said with a condescending look, “you really expect me to believe that he’s got animal ears and a tail?”

Sebastian sighed in exasperation, he walked up to Joseph and grabbed his arm and brought him closer to Leslie who watched them both in both curiosity and worry. Sebastian took Joseph’s hand and put it on Leslie’s head, Leslie flinched and waited.

Joseph wanted to bear his teeth, tear out that little throat, drag it out of the house and bury.

_He wanted to bury him_.

Instead he smiled and felt the soft appendages for himself, they were soft, they were _clean_ \- no, goddammit Sebastian was NOT cleaning Leslie’s ears for him. Joseph’s patience was quickly wearing thin. This was beyond unfair.

Joseph faked his surprised gasp, making Leslie glance up at him; Joseph noted with distaste that the boy’s tail had curled around his leg. He was also closer than before and making-oh no.

Sebastian was in awe, he looked at Leslie and then back at Joseph and back again, “is he?”

“He is.” Joseph says unable to hide his distaste.

Leslie Withers was purring.

Leslie buried his face in Joseph’s side purring loudly now.

Sebastian chuckled, “well, he definitely likes you now.”

Joseph gave Sebastian a wry smile, as he pet the boy awkwardly. As it stood their first meeting hadn’t been a good example of Joseph’s friendly side, Sebastian had been the distraction and Joseph had very roughly, though not intentionally, carried the boy out the back. Shaking as he felt the bony body in his arms, the boy had been _filthy_ , his arms covered in scabs from the needle marks. When they’d entered the facility only looking for some paper work they’d never expected to see someone in that condition.  Sebastian couldn’t take it and Joseph pitied the boy.

But things had changed; Leslie Withers looked human…or at least half human. He smelled like Sebastian’s shampoo and body wash, he was well fed and his eyes which before had been red rimmed and irritated were now glistening with adoration at the both of them.

Joseph was moments away from asking Sebastian to get Leslie away from him. He wasn’t comfortable with this anymore; he didn’t want Leslie inadvertently revealing Joseph’s nature to Sebastian.

Sebastian must have seen Joseph’s discomfort, he reached out and gently took Leslie’s hand, he handled him with such care, almost reverent and Joseph found it hard to watch. He had never treated Joseph in that way.

“Why don’t you go the kitchen and make yourself something to eat?” Sebastian suggested. Leslie gazed up at him and nodded, walking away from them both his gaze lingering on Joseph for a second too long.

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, there was no sign of that caring man now, he looked at Joseph, “so who do I call?”

Joseph frowned, “call?”

“Obviously this isn’t normal…was he some kind of experiment at Beacon?”

Beacon Memorial was the mental institute where they found Leslie, they’d been searching for a doctor there, Dr. Victoriano but they got turned around, led down the wrong hallway and that was when they found Leslie.

They got their info from someone else, but Leslie couldn’t be left behind.

That was the situation at the most base, details and other observations removed.

“Victoriano isn’t the head doctor there though-“ Joseph said.

“Actually he is. I asked around and while it’s not on paper, everyone knows that every breakthrough Beacon’s had, medical, technological and psychological had its origins with Victoriano.”

That was interesting, or it would be but Joseph knew that this wasn’t a mutation, whatever they’d been doing to Leslie hadn’t resulted in animal appendages or purring. Something else had been going on.

“Do you really think this is the result of an experiment.”

“cross-breeding maybe?”

Joseph sighed, “There are a lot of things we don’t know about the world, Sebastian. And that’s all I’m saying on the matter.”

 Sebastian sighed, “that doesn’t resolve my situation, what do I _do_ with him?”

Joseph gave him a look, “take him to a shelter.”

“Joseph!”

Joseph sighed, “Teach him to hide it?”

Sebastian looked even more appalled at that idea which made Joseph fall a little more in love with him, “Nobody’s going to hire someone who is half animal. Logically.”

Sebastian sighed, “Joseph you…you’re taking this better than I thought you would.”

Joseph realized that he was being very…calm about it all. But his patience had worn out, he still wanted to tear that kitten apart and establish his dominance, he might even start peeing on the furniture if allowed. But the human part of him held back those instincts inch by inch.

Sebastian suddenly put his hand on Joseph’s head, Joseph didn’t flinch or hide, he just hoped desperately that Sebastian wouldn’t thread his fingers through his hair. But then that might be nice, but it would also be disastrous. But his hand was warm.

_And it smelled like Leslie Withers._

Joseph smacked Sebastian’s hand away viciously, moments away from baring his teeth and biting.

Sebastian looked shocked, “Joseph what-“

Joseph was surprised at his own behavior, “sorry- I…”

“Its fine,” Sebastian said, “I know you don’t like being touched without warning.” Then he smiled a little, “you know, like a stray cat.”

Joseph punched him in the arm, “that’s not funny.”

“It is now,” Sebastian said.

Joseph felt relieved for a moment, only a moment, he still had to spend the night. After a lot of arguing Sebastian eventually let him sleep in the living room; Leslie creeping around the edges of the house watching them with those big curious eyes. Joseph watched Sebastian baby him for a little bit before having to walk out. There was only so much he could take.

But that night as he lie uncomfortably on Sebastian’s couch in the dark living room his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the number with a frown, it was Beacon Memorial.

He answered it; there was silence and then a soft breath, “Is this Detective Joseph Oda?”

“This is he.” Joseph says sitting up.

“Oh, lovely. I do believe you have my brother’s cat.”

 


	3. hiss claw reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph answers the call, one mystery is solved, and then bitchiness.

A/N ya'll are fukin cool like not even right? like i don't even know what to say. anyway, here's an update. 

 

The air in the living room was cold, but Joseph felt only that lick of panicked heat sidle up his spine, readying him for battle, even though his supposed opponent was on the other end of a mysterious phone call.

“Excuse me, but who is this?” Joseph kept his tone cool, calm but aware.

There was a low, feminine chuckle on the other end, “my name is Laura Victoriano, and like I said before I do believe you are in possession of my brother’s property.”

That got him, that word raised his hackles, reminded him why he kept himself hidden from other people. Trust wasn’t ever going to be easy for beings like them. “Property?” He asked innocently, “I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The boy, Withers.”

Damn, someone must have talked back at the institution; Withers hadn’t officially been reported missing but the reasons for that were obvious. But the real question was how did they know it was two random detectives who’d only visited for questioning?  

“Withers? Is that a name?”

“Please, Mr. Oda, don’t waste my time. I don’t suppose you’re wondering why we called you instead of your partner Mr. Castellanos?”

Joseph felt sick to his stomach with fear, questions popped into his head by the hundreds giving him a throbbing headache.  

“He’s not property.” Joseph hissed, he didn’t like Withers, on the contrary he’d rather the brat disappeared from their lives altogether. But Leslie Withers was like him and that was enough for Joseph to hesitate giving him up so easily. It didn’t help that the Victorianos were obviously hostile.

“You’re right, Mr. Oda.” Laura replied, calmer now, like she knew her meaning had made way, “He is very precious to my brother, very…expensive as well. You might not know this about yourself seeing as you are a…how do I say it without sounding insulting…” she chuckled and Joseph felt his hackles rise in aggression, “a _stray._ But Mr. Withers is pure bred and needs to be cared for—I do hope you’ve been caring properly for-“

“What do you want?” Joseph interrupted; she was quickly exhausting his patience.

“Is he well?”

“He’s _fine._ ”

“I shall have to take your word for it. Now about the terms-”

“What terms?”

“The terms of his return of course.”

Joseph glared into the darkness, “That’s up to him if he wants to go back.”

“You must have noticed that the boy is…not well.” There was a tinge of pity in the woman’s voice now. But Joseph didn’t trust it, for all he knew Leslie Withers was like that because of them.

“But I digress; we can discuss the terms properly after we meet in person.”

“In person? Really, what makes you think-“

“The KCPD might not take kindly to something like you being part of their workforce. And I’m sure your personal life would suffer. Need I continue?”

She had him; Joseph bit his bottom lip hard in anger. “When and where?” He couldn’t risk it but he was. He was risking Leslie; he was risking himself and Sebastian for being associated with them. Damn it all!

“there is a small coffee shop by the park downtown called Pretty Stars, join me for a cup of coffee my dear, we can work this all out.” She was smiling; he could read it in her voice. She knew she’d won.

Joseph didn’t answer he hung up and threw the phone across the room.

 He threaded his hands roughly through his hair untangling his ears, he held the delicate and sensitive appendages under his naked palms, he wished that he could tear them off, rip them away, all the parts that made him non-human, he wanted nothing more than to just be NORMAL.

What was he going to tell Sebastian? He didn’t have a car, and Sebastian might have questions…no scratch that, he would definitely have questions and Joseph didn’t know if he could answer them honestly, if at all.

He stood up and went to his damp coat that still hung by the door, he reached into the inner pocket and pulled out a thick beanie hat and shoved it on. He’d fix his hair again tomorrow. He laid back down on the couch, the cushions were hard and stiff against his back as if they hadn’t been sat on in a while.

Perhaps Withers didn’t sit on couches? No, if he was a commodity or a pet then he would typically sit on the floor or wait to be told he could sit with—

The very thought of Sebastian acting like that with Withers made him sick, and he was glad that Seb wasn’t that kind of person, no, he…he was good.

Wasn’t he? Just because Leslie was like this doesn’t mean he’d be alright with Joseph revealing himself to be unnatural. And what if he found out about Joseph’s feelings too? Ugh, feelings, such a feminine word, no, what he had was deeper than that, it felt like it was ingrained into his bones, this desire, this want he couldn’t control most of the time. He was in awe of Sebastian at times, and during the times when he couldn’t hold it back it made his gazes linger, his speech softer and his stupid body react.

Like it was now.

Joseph bit his lip and curled in on himself shut his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him. Tomorrows worries were for tomorrow.

 

The morning came with the smell of bacon and the sound of soft, joyful laughter. Joseph opened his eyes and sat up, he glanced over the couch to the kitchen. Sebastian was standing in front of the hot stove cooking breakfast in pajama pants and no shirt, his hair pulled up into a tiny tail at the nape of his neck. Leslie was watching him intently in one of Sebastian’s baggy shirts and pants smiling happily at something he was saying. Joseph felt a twinge of guilt, knowing what he did, but the jealously ate away at that. And then he was angry at himself for even feeling that when he had no right, no right to be jealous or anything even close to that. Leslie must have heard him move, he turned and looked right at him his ears pricking up in attention and his tail swishing curiously behind him; he looked up at Sebastian and tugged gently at his apron. Joseph raised his brows in surprise, he had no idea Sebastian was so…domestic; among other things, like how his back looked from this angle, or how those pants clung deliciously to his hips. Sebastian looked at Leslie and smiled, he said something quietly, and Joseph felt his own ears twitch curiously from under the hat he wore. His human ears didn’t catch it and he was left clueless as Leslie beamed up at Sebastian and nodded slowly. He turned and walked briskly over to Joseph, he went around the couch and caught his arm, and Joseph almost, _almost_ smacked his hand away.

“Come.” Leslie said with that delicate voice. He didn’t tug insistently, instead he held him so gently Joseph felt bad for hesitating, the boy was purring and he was almost shining with health and happiness. Joseph stood up and followed him to the kitchen.

“I promised him extra bacon.” Sebastian says, Joseph doesn’t look at him, he doesn’t want to see that smile he obviously had on; he didn’t want to see how happy someone else had made him.

Leslie led Joseph to his seat, right next to the head of the table. The table had already been set, being a pet it was probably one of his duties. Joseph sat down and saw Leslie sit across from him, gazing down at his plate he picked up his fork with one hand and a knife with the other and looked at Sebastian with an eager face, his mouth curled into a pout as if staring at Sebastian hard enough would make the food come faster.

“Leslie,” Joseph began, “do you remember where you were before the hospital?”

Leslie looked right at him then, there was awareness there, a fear in his gaze.

“Do you remember the doctors?”

“Pain…” Leslie whispered, the happy had leaked out of him somehow, Joseph almost felt bad. Almost.

“What about…what about before that?”

Leslie frowned, “sunflowers…” he looked out the nearby window.

“Do you remember anyone called Laura?”

Leslie dropped his cutlery and his hands went to his mouth immediately, Joseph noticed with sudden nervousness that the boy’s bare fingers as pale as they were had been…he felt sick to his stomach to even think about it. He reached out and grabbed the boy’s hand to examine them more closely.

“Were you declawed?”

Leslie was shaking and staring at him in confusion.

“did Laura do this to you?” he asked touching the tiny, thin pink scars under Leslie’s cuticles.

The boy’s hand was cold and shaking under his grip, but he nodded and Joseph let go.

“Pain…pain…pain—“

“And what about her brother?”

Leslie didn’t answer he was biting his nails. That was when Sebastian walked in with the three plates, scrambled eggs and bacon, one of the plates had six pieces on it. That must have been Leslie’s. Sebastian put them down together though; he rounded the table and knelt beside Leslie.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked in a gentle voice.

Seb was touching Leslie’s face, petting his hair and ears, Leslie’s tail wrapped around his arm and Leslie fell into Sebastian’s arms, his comforting touches and Sebastian shot Joseph a poisonous look before picking Leslie up and taking him out of the room.

Joseph stared at Leslie’s empty seat and then reached over and took his plate. Extra bacon huh, well that’s just too bad.

He devoured it too, with gusto, best breakfast he’d ever had. It was only when he was done that he felt sick with guilt again. It was a vicious circle now, jealous to guilty to angry around and around.

Sebastian came back and saw the empty plate and the look he gave Joseph was full of disbelief and shock.

He picked up one of the plates, “When I come back you’re gonna explain to me what the hell just happened, alright Joseph?” and he stomped away.

Joseph glared at the empty space he’d been standing in. Explain? He didn’t have to explain SHIT.

Joseph went to the front door and snatched Sebastian’s keys from his coat and walked out. He had a meeting to get to. Sebastian could stay with Leslie if he wanted, who cared? Joseph would be fine with it, he didn’t even care.

And that mantra repeated itself in his head as he drove Sebastian’s stolen car downtown to that coffee shop on the corner of the park. It was only when he parked that he thought that maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all, he had no idea what awaited him in there.

 


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of conversations, revelations and consequences.

A/N so, if anyone cared about why it took so long to post this just know that coming up with the coffee-shop scene was fucking difficult and there are many, many alternate versions of it. so yeah, thanks for the kudos and comments, enjoy your update. 

 

 Had Joseph been born an actual cat he would have taken a shit on all of Sebastian’s things. But that was not something a rational minded person would do or even hope to get away with. And so he was stuck with these ears and this tail and a potent dislike for others of his kind. Which begged the question; if this was so clear to him then the question remained, why was he risking himself for Leslie Withers?

Joseph drove calmly; he kept his thoughts in a rational pattern constantly telling himself that he knew why he was doing this. He was being threatened, and while he didn’t like Withers he understood that the boy was in a tough position and needed assistance. And if Sebastian had to be the primary source of that assistance then that was how it had to be. Joseph also felt a twinge of regret for earlier, he hadn’t meant to scare the boy and his jealousy had gotten the better of him. He would have to apologize later.

But until then…

Pretty Stars was a small, cozy place on the curve heading to the public park. Joseph parked Seb’s car nearby and as he crossed over and headed to the entrance his phone rang. Joseph pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, Sebastian’s name gleamed brightly and Joseph hung up, muted his phone and put it back in his pocket. He walked into the small coffee house and saw in the far corner a dark haired woman in a blood red dress. She was sipping calmly at her coffee and when she caught him staring she smiled and beckoned to him. Joseph approached cautiously keeping his exits within view, watching the others in the restaurant, he could still remember her voice over the phone when she’d said that he was rare, he wasn’t about to get kidnapped by a wealthy foreigner who likes…being like himself.

He phone vibrated loudly in his pocket, he snatched it out and hung up. He knew who it was and he wouldn’t let it distract him from his purpose here. Information.

He sat down at the edge of the seat, Laura Victoriano smiled at him with blood red lips, she held herself with poise and a confidence that Joseph didn’t trust, like a snake about to strike. He was ready to run; all his instincts told him that this woman, despite her fragile beauty, was dangerous. Her long, ruby red nails tapped the surface of the table, “you are unexpectedly handsome, Mr. Oda.” She said in a voice like warm velvet. Joseph didn’t return her smile, “Let’s not waste time with niceties, Miss Victoriano.”

Her smile twitched but stayed pasted on her face, but her eyes were the blue of an icy wasteland.

“Leslie Withers.” She said, “he is well?”

“yes.”

Her nails clicked insistently on the table, she tensed up and Joseph glanced briefly at the door ready to escape.

“I don’t suppose you’ve…told him about the phone call?”

“Before anything I want to know who you are, what you want with him and if you intend to harm him-“

“And what right do you have to ask such a thing? You are here for yourself; you are here to save your reputation, your very being from being exposed like a raw wound. No, Joseph Oda, you are not human and as such you do not have the _right_ to ask anything of me.”

Their gazes met, her blood curdling winter gaze against Joseph’s warm, soft brown eyes which steeled over with anger.

There was a fear in him however, an old fear.

_What if they knew?_

But he didn’t let it lead him astray, he took a deep breath, “then I’m wasting my time with you.” and he said something dangerous, the words almost choked him, he stumbled off the table and looked down at her pale, furious face.

“Say what you want. I won’t put that boy in harm’s way.”

“How dare you?” she stood up and grabbed his arm in her sharp, tight grip, “a thing like you speaking to me, daring to even _look_ upon me, you’re an animal Oda,” she ground out obviously not wanting to cause a scene. Joseph wrenched himself out of her grip, “you will never have him!” he snarled shoving her down into her seat again and walking to the exit. He ignored the astounded glares aimed at him as he left, his instincts told him to get out and tell Sebastian everything.

And when he got in Sebastian’s car and drove away that was what was on his mind at the time. But his confidence slipped, his worries grew and when he parked in Sebastian’s driveway and saw him standing outside the door with a cigarette in his hand he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He sat inside the car for a moment trying to think of what to say first, how to explain the situation without revealing his own situation. But that choice was taken from him when the door was yanked open and he was dragged out by Sebastian.

Sebastian shoved him against the shut backseat door. “What the hell were you thinking, Joseph!?” he growled, “you weren’t answering your phone, damn you, I almost called it in!” he was angry and Joseph’s mind wiped out all the strategies he’d conjured up and focused solely on Sebastian’s fist gripping his shirt, how close they were and how good it felt to be…overpowered by him.

His heart was pounding a mile a minute and his body was threatening to react if he didn’t do something soon, Joseph hid his panic, he stared at Sebastian, “I’ll tell you,” he said grabbing Sebastian’s hand and peeling his fingers off his shirt one by one. He noted with a slight rush of heat that Sebastian’s hand was shaking. Sebastian stepped back and took a long draw from his cigarette. Joseph made a disgusted sound and snatched it from his fingers without a word and crushed it under his heel. The look Sebastian gave him when he did that made Joseph’s insides quiver. Joseph had to take a breath and Sebastian stepped back, “you know I hate it,” Joseph said. The silence was palpable, Sebastian was staring at the crushed cigarette and when their gazes met Joseph swallowed thickly, “we should talk inside.” He said softly, quickly before slipping past Sebastian and into the refuge of the house.

When he stepped into the house he could smell the fear, it was pungent and sweet, it made him nauseous. And it wasn’t coming from Sebastian. Joseph didn’t wait for Sebastian to join him inside, and as he walked through the house he realized why Sebastian had been panicking outside, why he’d been outside in the first place.

Leslie Withers.

The living room and kitchen were in ruins, everything had been pulled out of their drawers and cupboards and thrown across the floor and against the glass windows. He could hear a soft moan coming from one of the closed bottom cupboards. He knelt down and opened it.

“Leslie?” he called softly, “are you in there?”

“Please, please don’t hurt me.”

Something in Joseph curled in rage at his words. It was an expansive anger that spread to his jealousy of the boy’s vulnerabilities and his attachment to Sebastian, but it also tangled with his self-hate for treating the boy so callously, but mostly it clung like a leech to his dislike of the boy for his weakness, his helplessness, his complete and utter inability to protect himself.

The boy needed help, needed a kind hand and…and Sebastian might not be enough and Joseph knew he wasn’t…he wasn’t right for it.

“Come out,” he whispered in his most soft, welcoming voice.

“Please-please-please—“

“I won’t hurt you Leslie; I’m going to take you somewhere safe. I promise.”

There was shuffling sound and the boy crawled out, his face red with tears and he was shaking as Joseph gathered him into his arms.

They sat there for a few minutes, Joseph held the small, pale boy in his arms letting him nuzzle his chest, his soft ears tickling his chin.

Sebastian appeared in the entrance way and had the gall to look surprised. Joseph looked up at him, and Leslie followed his gaze, he began to shake again and big, miserable tears began to pour out of his eyes.

He began to babble and Sebastian stepped out.

“no, wait.” Joseph called, “Seb, come here.” He said.

Sebastian stepped in hesitantly, obviously discomforted, “I don’t know what happened, after you left I was calling and calling and he lost it and started to throw things, fuck.” Sebastian ran his hands through his hair with a low sigh.

Joseph looked at Leslie who was struggling to say something, “sorry…” he muttered, “this is my fault.” Each word was like a spine in his chest, but it was owed, “I shouldn’t have been so terse with you.”

Leslie softened, “sorry…sorry…” he muttered, and his big sky blue eyes looked at Sebastian, “sorry…sorry…”

Sebastian sagged against the wall in relief.

Joseph bit his lip and resisted the urge to squeeze the life out of those pretty, _pretty_ eyes.

He took a deep breath, “could you clean up a little?” he asked Leslie, the boy who just a moment ago had been all tears and shaking had the gall to purr against Joseph’s chest. He held back a disgusted groan and smiled tightly at the boy. He had to pet him too, rub him just behind the ears and the tender skin under his jaw to make him comply. These were tricks he’d learned about himself during certain situations. Situations which would never be discussed out loud and doing it to Leslie made him feel filthy. The boy made a soft, sickeningly sweet sound and Joseph took that opportunity to slip away from him and stand up. Leslie stared up at him with a glazed expression.

“It would be a big help if you cleaned this up, Leslie.” He repeated in a soft, kind voice. His tightly wound smile made a return as well, but the pale kitten couldn’t tell, he just hopped up and started to pick up the scattered silverware. Joseph turned around to find Sebastian, he was gone however. Joseph left the kitchen and glanced out into the hallway and heard a sound coming from Sebastian’s bedroom. It was time for a plan to be formulated if they were going to keep Leslie safe.

He went into Sebastian’s bedroom and saw him sitting in his big, messy bed smoking another cigarette. Joseph sighed, “we need to hide him.”

Sebastian glanced at him, “and why is that?”

“they know you have him.”

Sebastian’s brow wrinkled, “what? Wait, is this why you stole my car?” he stood up obviously disturbed, “and what’s with you lately anyway?”

“they found my phone number from the institution, he’s some rich family pet, I’ve got a bad feeling about them.”

“Did you meet them in person? Joseph, did you meet—wait, did they follow you?”

“they wanted him back, Seb. I knew you’d go in guns blazing so I couldn’t let you…” shit. He hadn’t gotten past this part yet. “nevertheless, we need to find a safehouse until he find out who these people are.”

Sebastian took a long drag from his cigarette and the sight made Joseph’s mouth tighten in disapproval.

“Really?” he complained, “do you have to do that now?”

“So where do we hide him? And do you have any leads on these guys?” Sebastian was good at ignoring him when it suited him. Joseph narrowed his eyes at him, “let’s get him somewhere safe, and then I’ll tell you what I know.”

Sebastian’s gaze steeled over, “there’s something else you’re not telling me.”

At first there was panic, fear and the urge to escape. But these were things that Joseph was used to feeling around Sebastian, but only because that animal part of him acknowledged him as the leader, the alpha in so many words. But he could resist it, he’d had years to hone a resistance against the urge to please and obey Sebastian.

“After Leslie is somewhere safe.” Joseph said in an even tone, he kept his expression neutral, “and put out that damn cigarette.”

“Take it from me then.” Sebastian challenged.

Joseph glared and walked toward him and snatched it out of his mouth and put it out on his palm in a quick, practiced move. He put the stub in Sebastian’s shirt pocket and all that was left was the smudge of ash in his palm.

Joseph’s instincts rarely failed him, they warned him of danger; they kept him safe and alive. They were his extra eyes and ears honed after having to hide his otherwise strange appendages. He was aware of his surrounding at all times, he was aware of everyone around him; he has never been caught off guard. But he couldn’t understand what had happened, he’d come in, he’d told half-truths and made promises he wasn’t sure he’d keep. He hated it when Sebastian smoked, and Sebastian knew he hated it and he liked to provoke him, he liked to rile him up because he’d always thought Joseph was uptight. But there were reasons for that, there were important reasons for Joseph to be overly cautious, overly aware and Sebastian didn’t understand that.  But he’d answered the provocation the way he always did.

Sebastian grabbed his wrist and the next thing Joseph knew he was being kissed, hard and angry. His hips were being grabbed and his body pushed back against the edge of Sebastian’s bed. His brain lit on fire and without thinking he wrapped his arms and his legs around Sebastian Castellanos and fell back onto the soft blankets of his messy bed.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, dear.

A/N thanks for all the feedback guys. :)

 

Perhaps this was supposed to have been the moment that their relationship changed. After all this time Joseph's one-sided feelings would be answered and his whole life would be different after this. Everything would be new and wonderful and...and yet he was pushing Sebastian away from him.

 

Joseph sat on the edge of Sebastian's bed panting, his hands were trembling and his heart was pounding not with passion but with panic. He looked at Sebastian who stood before him and had the gall to be surprised by Joseph's actions.

Joseph opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, he wanted to run his knee was twitching incessantly and he could feel his tail itching to get out and swish wildly, he kept his hands in fists to hide his claws which were digging into his palms. His ears, god his ears!

“Sorry, Joseph...that was...I...” Sebastian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and Joseph bit his lip.

“it's fine. You were angry I understand.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied, “I wasn't thinking straight.”

“No, you weren't.”

“I should go see how Leslie's doing.” he wiped his mouth again, this time with his tongue. Joseph's gaze followed it and Sebastian almost scrambled to the door. He slammed it when he left but Joseph knew he hadn't meant to. This whole thing had only been an accident. He could feel how his own flesh tingled in want, his body still tense and ready to either tear something apart or...or do something else. Sebastian must have caught it, just a whiff of it and acted without thinking. Joseph wasn't usually in town this late, he was usually in some quiet motel with a few dvds and...other possessions, one of Seb's shirts maybe.

The moment that memory crossed his mind Joseph stood up, it was a smell thing, the stealing of Seb's shirts. Not something to think about while standing in Sebastian's room where he slept and all his clothes were here. The sheets smelled of his skin and Joseph stared down at them waging an internal battle with himself. To curl naked in his blankets or not to curl naked in his blankets?

 

He pushed himself out of that mindset by reminding himself of what almost happened. Sebastian almost found out he wasn't human, he almost touched his head, almost slipped his hand under Joseph's pants, he would have found his tail curled around his thigh. Joseph straightened his glasses and stood up. Calm yet alert, thoughtful yet focused. First things first he needed to call Kidman and get her here asap, he wasn't really worried about her finding out that Leslie wasn't human, in fact she didn't need to know. He went to Sebastian's closet and pulled out one of his many trench coats and a hooded jacket. He folded them over his arm and stared for a moment. Thankfully the urge to bury his face in them passed and for the moment his body was listening to him again. He walked out of the room and went back to the kitchen where he found Leslie sitting on Sebastian's lap getting gentle pets on the head. Sebastian was staring out the window. Joseph frowned, irritated. He calmed that down as well, kept himself in check.

“Leslie, come here.” he said. Leslie perked up at the sound of his name and hopped off of Sebastian's lap and walked to where Joseph was. Joseph handed him the jacket, “Put this on.” Leslie looked at it and slipped it on slowly and carefully his big blue eyes curious and smelling Sebastian on it he smiled. Joseph wanted to slap it off his face. After layering it with the trenchcoat he sent Leslie to wait by the front door. The boy slipped away silently and Sebastian stood up and approached him.

“Joseph, listen...about before I-”

“It's fine. Just forget it happened, I know I will.” he said bitterly, “We need to call Kidman, she doesn't need to know much, just enough for her to agree to hide the boy.”

Sebastian looked annoyed at him, but it was only a flicker in his eyes before he nodded, “I'll call her, just get Leslie into the car. I'll be right with you.”

 

The following hour found them parked in front of a supermarket looking in dismay at the dingy apartment sitting above it. “Come to think about it, we've never visited her before.” Sebastian commented.

“She's never invited us either, do you think she'll be mad?”

“It's her fault for not answering her phone.”

Joseph and Leslie followed behind Sebastian, Joseph only noticed it because Leslie kept falling behind.

Together they both watched Sebastian as they walked up the dingy metal stairs on the side of the building in search of a front door. Joseph frowned when Leslie took his hand and stepped into pace beside him.

“Seb is good.” he said in that soft, sweet voice.

Joseph was too surprised to hear him speak to be irritated. “Yes, he is.”

Leslie glanced at him, “Is he mine?”

Oh hell. Did he just?

“I can...be nice too.” Leslie said in that same soft voice. Joseph slipped his hand out of the boy's grasp.

“Seb what the hell are you doing here?!”

It was Kidman's, she was using her inside voice but it was clear that she was annoyed.

Joseph couldn't let go just yet of what Leslie had said but there were more important things to take care of at the moment.

When Kidman saw them her eyes went wide, “Who is that? Please tell me you didn't-” she grabbed Sebastian by the collar and dragged him through the door, she stepped out and glanced around urging both Joseph and Leslie inside.

Once inside she followed and slammed the door. Seb and Joseph should have been alarmed or at the very least wondering about her reaction but they were too busy staring at her apartment. It was tiny, cramped, messy as hell and filled with Japanese paraphernalia. Sebastian was endlessly entertained by the idea of their stoic partner being this...weird. Joseph however found himself a bit dismayed by the amount of boys love comics and manga lying around. He saw her computer and the piles of magazines layering it, the stickers and the posters. The pungent smell of incense and on her computer screen was obviously a work report.

“What the hell were you guys thinking bringing him here!?” Kidman snapped.

“What the hell are you living in, Kid?” Sebastian guffawed.

Kidman's face flushed, “None of your damn business, now would either of you care to explain what Leslie Withers is doing here!?”

Leslie perked up at the sound of his name, the twitch of his ears hidden by the hood covering his head. He slid quickly to Sebastian's side and Kidman's eyes flashed dangerously, “What the hell was that?”

Joseph stepped in front of them, “Nothing, it was nothing. Look, we need you to keep him here for a few days-”

“A few days?” Kidman snarled, “The kid has been missing since last year. We need to call his retainer immediately-”

Retainers. Withers.

“Sebastian step away from him.”

“Why?” Sebastian caught Leslie's shoulder and pushed him behind him fully, out of Kid's sight.

Kid was glaring at the both of them, “he's wearing your jacket, I think you know what I mean.”

Joseph eyed the room for her gun, it was hanging on the wall by what looked to be the bathroom door.

“Kidman,” he said slowly, “What exactly is going on here?”

Kidman looked like she was ready to attack, had they made a mistake bringing Leslie here? And why did it feel like Kidman knew? Did she know about his kind? Did she know about _him?_

Kidman backed away, “You're not fooling anyone, I know what he is.” Her eyes flashed to Joseph for a millisecond, long enough for his heart to skip a beat in panic.

“Don't do anything rash, Kid. Let's just talk, you and me, okay? We'll leave Seb and Leslie outside for the moment.”

Kidman turned her glare to him, “The kid stays, Sebastian needs to get the hell out right now.”

“Kid-” Sebastian said.

“I will shoot you.” She snarled.

“Sebastian get out, do it now. Please.” Joseph said. He turned to Sebastian and pushed him slowly to the doorway, Sebastian caught his hands, “I can call someone just-”

“Don't. It'll be okay. Just...don't leave.”

Sebastian's back hit the door and he gazed down at Joseph, “Don't do anything stupid.”

“Just wait by the car.”

Sebastian was outside now, the tension released suddenly, Leslie grabbed Joseph's hand again as he turned to face Kidman again.

She was standing in the middle of her tiny cramped apartment and before Joseph's eyes he saw her change. The tail seemed to have always been there, they just hadn't noticed, and her ears were round like a leopard's.

Leslie was frowning, Joseph felt like he was going to pass out, his head was so filled with doubt, and still trying to calm down.

He stepped toward her, unbelieving but remembering that first conversation.

“How?” Joseph whispered. How had she hidden herself for so long? How had he never noticed?

“But you knew about Leslie from the beginning...why are you acting like this now?”

Kidman walked toward him, she looked more calm, still alert but calm. She ruffled his hair and his ears perked out, stiff and aching but Joseph felt like he was going to start crying.

“I can explain everything, Joseph.” she touched his shoulders and smiled. She turned to Leslie and pushed the hood off revealing his own pale ears to the world, they twitched with every sound made.

“Or...well,” she said stepping aside, “I can let him explain better.” she turned and a man stepped out of the shadows. Tall, blonde, horribly scarred. He wore a pale blue button up shirt and slacks, he had a cane in one hand despite holding himself like someone younger. Joseph frowned, he looked at Leslie who shrank to the floor shaking terribly.

“Pain...pain...” he whimpered.

It was then, that Joseph knew they'd made a grave mistake in coming here.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The choice between freedom and delusion.

a/n oh shiet. OH SHIT. no...no you can't even can you? thanks for the kudos and the comments :D

 

Freedom. That was what it was all about wasn’t it? That was the reason he hid away the parts of himself that he knew other people wouldn’t accept. He had understood deep in his heart that he belonged nowhere and in that place, where others would find only silence and loneliness, Joseph Oda found release. He had social ties and was a functional citizen and he’d never so much as gotten a speeding ticket. This was because his inner self, the nonhuman part of his being was kept separate, far from the acceptable part of society. And when the day was over and the door to his apartment shut closed behind him he could breathe a sigh of relief. He would wash that hardened gel out of his hair and let his soft, slick black ears twitch stiffly atop his head. He could take off his clothes, his disguise and wash off the day’s grime and his tail would swish irritably in the water. He could live like this he _had_ lived like this his whole life.

Freedom.

Choice.

He had made a choice.

Joseph looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. At the bruises on his arms and ribs, at the scratch mark on his cheek and turned away. That frantic train of thought that had paralyzed him, crippled his mind and heart was nowhere now. There was blame, and a deep set agony in his chest. How could he let it happen? There was one decision left to make, it wasn’t easy, god it was just more pain and it was never going to end. But he had to do it, for Leslie. For Kidman and…and for Ruvik. They were like him and so he understood now that he owed them.

 

_They had burned off his ears and tail. That was the first thing that Joseph had noticed. The shock of it had erased any urge he’d had to kick Leslie off his leg. The boy had curled up behind him and was gripping his pant leg. Sebastian should have been by the car now, god please don’t let him do anything stupid! Kidman stepped aside and let the man walk just a bit closer as if she knew Joseph wanted to run, because he did. Then he spoke, in a voice that belied his appearance, it was deep, calm and had an air of intelligence to it._

_“It’s about time that we met, isn’t it Mr. Oda?”_

_“Is it?”_

_And then a spark of recognition hit him, ah yes, the picture on the file for the head doctor in the psychiatric unit of Crimson City Hospital. Obviously the picture had been edited, heavily. The burns covered the whole of the man’s head, leaving just a good half of his face unchanged. His eyes were an arctic blue and they seemed to glow almost as he stared directly into Joseph’s eyes._

_“You’re a doctor aren’t you…from that hospital.” Rage flared in his chest when he thought about the implications of this, a doctor of his species experimenting on others like him? It was horrifying; it made him feel sorry for Leslie who hadn’t stopped shaking._

_“Reuben Victoriano, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” He said, holding out his hand for Joseph to shake. Joseph rejected it, choosing instead to kneel down a bit to help Leslie to his feet. He looked into those sky blue eyes that were red rimmed from crying, “I’m right here.” He whispered, taking the boy’s hand. Leslie still hid behind him and buried his face in his back, but the shaking had stopped. Joseph looked back at the Kidman and Reuben and with a gasp he realized something else, Victoriano. That name, that woman. “Where is she?” Joseph demanded, “Is she here?” Shit, she might be watching Seb!_

_Reuben frowned at him, “Who?”_

_“Laura, your sister! She approached me to try and get to Leslie! Don’t act like you don’t know who I’m talking about.”_

_Kidman shifted nervously, she glanced at Reuben, “She knows.”_

_Reuben shrugged, “So she knows, it’s about time.” He looked to where Leslie was, “But she doesn’t know where I am, that is, not anymore.”_

_Leslie shifted at the sound of Reuben’s voice, still holding onto Joseph he leaned back a bit and peered over his arm to look at the other two people in the room._

_Joseph kept him close, but it was useless, Leslie pried himself away._

_“Leslie, wait!” Joseph snapped, “Get back here!”_

_Leslie walked forward and into Reuben’s arms and Joseph couldn’t comprehend it, he was afraid and angry of what it meant, this man was dangerous._

_“What are you going to do to him?” Joseph bit out; he felt his ears flatten against his head._

_Reuben didn’t answer him, he simply placed his hand on Leslie’s head and ruffled his hair, a twitch in the corner of his mouth might have been a smile, but Joseph didn’t know him enough to tell._

_Kidman sighed, “Look, it’ll be easier if you just come with us, we can explain when we get there.”_

_“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Joseph said, “You’re going to have to explain it now.” He kept his eyes on Leslie who was purring loudly in Reuben’s grasp._

_If Sebastian were here would he have done that? What about Sebastian? Leslie had finally voiced his intentions and now he was just…_

_“We’re leaving.” Kidman said, “Ruvik has a place…it’s…it’s far away from here but its better.”_

_Joseph growled and stomped toward them and snatched Leslie back by his ear backed away, “Stay here you little idiot!” he snapped shoving the boy behind him. Leslie meowed loudly, a soft, light and pained sound. Reuben, or Ruvik, looked annoyed, well good for him._

_“Did you think it was luck that you and that detective found Leslie?”_

_“What are you implying?”_

_“Just what it sounds like, I allowed the boy to be found, just not by you. He was to be picked up and taken to a safe-house. As it stands, that plan failed and now he is in grave danger because you and your partner decided to play hero.”_

_“Well, you’re a little late, Leslie is staying here.”_

_“Here as in?” There was mockery in Reuben’s gaze as if he thought he knew something Joseph didn’t, “Do you mean Krimson City? Oh, that can’t be it. He’s not human, he won’t fit in; it's that simple.”_

_Joseph bit his lip, “Kidman and I are both evidence that we can fit in.”_

_Kidman scoffed, “Do we?” she asked, “Come on, you don’t really think that we can live like this forever.” She looked sad for a moment, “It’s always like that in the beginning, but someone eventually finds out and after that it’s goodbye.”_

_Goodbye._

_Joseph glared at them, “Why run? Your sister seemed to think that Leslie was some kind of pet. Is that what this is? a trick? You’re just going to set him up in a pretty gilded cage?”_

_Ruvik’s irritation flashed forward into rage, “You talk about cages but what do you know of them?” he ground out, “You’ve only lived in the one you made for yourself, you don’t know what it’s like to be…to be a **pet**.”_

_Joseph shrank away from the idea instinctively, and the idea that Ruvik’s own sister had done that was appalling._

_Was this really it? Were they trying to run away from humanity just for that?_

_“Joseph, you should come with us, it’ll be so different.” She said, “We can be the way we are without anyone to say anything.”_

_To be able to walk outside in the sun as a nonhuman was impossible. It didn’t register in Joseph’s mind because he…he was human right? He had tried so hard to be normal and now…it wasn’t fair._

_“It’s not that easy, you can’t just-“_

_“Yes we can!” Ruvik snapped, “Do you not see us standing here doing it? When we get to the safe house it’s only a matter of time and then we can be like this all the time-“ he went to where Joseph was and grabbed his shoulders, “You can come as well, even if you’re a stray, even if you’re not pure bred you will be accepted.” He sounded so earnest, as if he believed every word himself. From this close Joseph saw the burns, a bitter revelation of the horrors inflicted upon his kind. There was nothing to prove that Ruvik wasn’t human, no ears, no tail, he’d most likely been declawed as well. Is that what it took? How could Ruvik want this at all? Even horribly scarred he was more acceptable to the world than anyone else in this room. And yet the pain in his gaze, the urgency, the desperation belied all of that._

_The problem was inside of him, in his DNA he wasn’t human, and he never would be._

_“Why was Leslie in that facility?” Joseph asked._

_Ruvik winced and stepped back, “A doctor there…Jimenez, he wanted to make Leslie normal.” There was something unspoken behind his words. But before Joseph could push for more there was a scream._

_The apartment erupted into chaos as the electricity shut off and the sound of glass breaking hit Joseph and he immediately grabbed for Leslie only to find him gone. He heard Kidman fighting, and he shouted for Leslie but his mouth was covered and he was shoved back into a corner, his assailant jabbed him hard in the ribs and something cut his cheek as he fell, as he lay panting in the darkness he realized his attacker was gone. Suddenly someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him, Joseph realized belatedly that it was Ruvik that held him, “Stay here, and don’t move I’ll be right back.”_

_But he never came back._

_None of them did._

_The building electricity flickered back to life and Joseph sat shaking in the corner of Kidman’s wrecked apartment._

_He moved in phases, snatched up Leslie’s discarded blanket, picked up Kidman’s gun that he found on the floor in the middle of the room. He walked out of her apartment and saw with flair of panic that Sebastian’s car was gone._

His freedom had come at a price. He wasn’t allowed to be nonhuman in public, he wasn’t allowed to pursue a serious romantic relationship and he would never truly have any companionship. His life had always been a series of compromises, but remembering Ruvik’s desperation made him rethink everything. What he had was impermanent, Kidman had said so, and he wondered if he had that same look, that cold depth that he found in her gaze. He would have been happy right? If he had never met any of them, if he had never decided that his partner was going over the edge, if he hadn’t decided to be a little nicer to Kidman when she was having a shitty day. If he hadn’t decided that Leslie was just this kid in trouble who needed some help. He could have kept himself apart from all that and spent his life in his normal routine.

Joseph sat down on the cold bathroom floor and stared at his palms, at his legs and the tail curled around his left thigh, a habit built from constantly hiding. Always hiding away.

Joseph wanted to scream suddenly, why did it have to be like this? Why couldn’t he just…if he could just tell one person he would tell Sebastian, he’d had enough of people already knowing or sensing it because they were like him. Kidman had always known and that alone was a betrayal because she had isolated them both, she hadn’t trusted him and damn her he would have-they might have grown closer. Ruvik and Leslie were living in a fantasy land if they thought that paradise was achievable before death.

The only thing that Sebastian had done was hide Leslie’s nature and he had redeemed himself by relying on Joseph, he could appreciate that and…and if he were here than Joseph would do the same in kind regardless of the fear that built in him.

After this he would find Sebastian and tell him, “Hey, I’m not human.”

SLAM!

Joseph jumped up suddenly and wrapped a towel around his hips and put a shower cap on to hide his ears. He slowly opened the door and crept toward his room to pick up Kidman’s gun which lay on the floor. What he found instead was Sebastian sitting on the edge of his bed wrapping gauze around his bruised ribs.

Relief flooded him so intensely that it was all he could do not to start crying. He walked forward and Sebastian caught sight of him. Joseph didn’t hold back he sat down beside him on the bed and grabbed his face in his hands, “You promised to stay by the car!” he whispered. Sebastian was staring right back at him and chuckled, “And you promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

Joseph pulled him into a hug and realized that he was shaking.

“Sebastian they…”

“I know, I saw the car leave I tailed it back to the hospital.”

Joseph pulled back with a look of dread, “Seb, before we go, there’s some things that you need to know.”

Sebastian looked at him and Joseph scooted away from him, he inhaled deep through his nose and reminded himself to be calm, the last time they were on a bed together other things almost happened. None of that now, only focus. This would make it easier to explain to Sebastian what had happened.

Joseph reached up to tug the shower cap off of his head but Sebastian grabbed his hands and stopped him.

What was it? Was something wrong? But this was the right choice this was for-

“Don’t…” Sebastian said gently guiding Joseph’s hands downward, “Don’t do that.”

 

 


	7. Point of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian sees things differently.

A/N Thanks for the kudos and the comments! 

 

The first time Sebastian laid eyes on his new partner he scoffed. This kid isn’t gonna make it. Joseph Oda’s flawless record proved him wrong, Joseph Oda’s professional demeanor that hid a set of strict values and an inviolable code of conduct that he held himself by proved Sebastian wrong. And since then he’s been exceeding Sebastian’s expectations. Sebastian’s life had just about fallen apart, he’d reached the bottom of the barrel and there was no reason for him to try and get out of it. it was a constant battle just getting up in the morning to go to work. Waking up in the empty bed he used to share with his wife, walk down the hallway in silence to make himself some coffee before getting dressed. So what, the coffee turned into brandy and whiskey and vodka, so he started to sleep in his work clothes, so he started coming to work without even bothering to change, so what if he started fights with suspects or was a little rough in the handling of perps? _So what?_

Joseph Oda had something to say. Joseph picked him up from the bar and drove him home, Joseph sometimes changed his clothes for him, Joseph had seen him at his worst.

Joseph had always been there for him, _always_ in his time of need.

His path to recovery was fraught with conflict and traps and an agony that he’d learned to live with. Joseph was with him the whole way and everyone could see how much better Sebastian had gotten. He was no longer the husk of a man letting his life and career slip through his fingers as he drowned in loss.

Then they found Leslie. Walking through the cold, alcohol scented halls of Krimson Memorial and he was sitting by the window with a thick hood over his head just staring blankly out the window with that medicated stare. Sebastian was drawn to him, perhaps it was because he’d once had a child, and this kid, this young man who should have been outside living his life was instead trapped in here. Joseph was chatting with one of the nurses and Sebastian went toward the boy who looked up at him with the most beautiful set of blue eyes he’d ever seen.

Sebastian saw his arms, the bandages were old, damaged; the wounds beneath them weren’t self-inflicted. It was the mass amount of needle marks that shocked Sebastian the most, they covered most of his forearm and disappeared under the rolled up sleeves of his jacket.

Leslie turned away from him, as if his existence hadn’t even registered and he went back to staring out the window.

Sebastian wanted right then and there to pick him up and take him somewhere safe and warm where maybe he would feel better. He’d felt it so strongly he shocked himself, he asked himself why? The answer was Joseph, but then again, wasn’t he always?

Joseph had saved him, so why not try and help this kid?

Sebastian turned away to leave and return to his investigation, thoroughly sobered by the fact that stealing patients out of a psych asylum wasn’t really a prudent idea. Leslie surprised him by grabbing his arm to stop him. Sebastian turned but the boy was still looking out the window and a second later his hand dropped away as if all the strength had left it.

“Are you insane!?”

Joseph didn’t agree with sneaking into the hospital and stealing a patient away. He had that frown on, the crease between his brows. He was the perfect picture of disagreement. Didn’t matter though, they were in the car already.

Joseph huffed in that way he did before giving in. He did that a lot, didn’t like to argue with Sebastian; had never even raised his voice to him, even when he was being hard headed. Sebastian parked in an alley between some nearby buildings and they got out of the car. They left their phones in the trunk, and slid on some jackets. Sebastian watched Joseph move, saw how he moved without a sound.

It was something he’d noticed during the bad days, when Sebastian didn’t feel like being nursed and wanted to drink himself into oblivion. Joseph would get this look in his eyes, the kind of look a cat gives you when it’s annoyed. And the way he would walk was so elegant, and silent, the minute sway of his hips that brought odd images to Sebastian’s mind. Like if he wore one of those cosplay outfits with the fake tails that could be wrapped around a belt or pinned to the back of a pair of pants. Something like that, and Sebastian was amused by how much it suited Joseph. Not in a sexual way or anything, that was weird. No, he was just cat-like. Joseph had a way about him, an air of intimidation, don’t touch him without permission, don’t sneak up on him, and the gloves. They always made him think maybe Joseph had OCD or he didn’t like germs. It was all so funny, and odd, for him to think about Joseph like that.

There were also the mysterious vacations he took, never brought back any postcards or souvenirs and never had any funny stories to tell. Maybe he was gay? But then that really wasn’t a big deal these days and Sebastian certainly didn’t care.

After a point Sebastian began to realize he didn’t know much about Joseph at all, the man who had basically saved his life.

It troubled him.

But he wasn’t thinking about solving that puzzle as they slipped through the dark alleys toward the hospital. He was thinking of that poor boy.

Poor Leslie Withers.

Kid didn’t say a word the first night. Joseph had left with a “This is your problem now,” and that was it. Sebastian was unsure; he was worried he might have made a mistake. It only took until the following morning when he found Leslie withers sitting by the living room window that he understood, or, began to try and understand.

The world was a bigger place than he gave it credit for. It was also a stranger place if beings like this one existed. Leslie would stare at him with that drowsy frown and fall asleep anywhere. He wouldn’t sit in any of the chairs and had to be taught how to use a fork. The simplest things he couldn’t do, not because he was incapable, no, it seemed as if he hadn’t been taught. Orphaned or not, the boy might have been treated like a regular cat. It was easy to gauge his mood by following the movements of his ears and tail. Sebastian found it endearing, if a bit strange. After a time Sebastian began to wonder about Leslie, who now instead of watching from afar had taken to being more affectionate. It was sweet, and weird. Very weird. Having a guy rub up on your body like a cat was weird.

How different was he to a regular human? Were there more of him? Sebastian even wondered if he might be hallucinating and after a time decided that a second opinion was needed.

That is to say, it was never supposed to escalate to this point.

Mysterious phone calls? Joseph suddenly changing like that? Kidman pointing a gun at them- it was all insane?

He could still recall seeing the three of them dragged into a van and following that van to Krimson Memorial made his blood freeze.

But Joseph was standing in front of him wearing a damn shower cap and wrapped up in a towel like they hadn’t just kissed a couple of days ago.

He could still remember that, it was weird, it was too weird. It shouldn’t happen again.

He couldn’t deny that he wanted it to though, that maybe he wanted to forget all about cats and Lelsie Withers and just let them rot if he could have a night with his trusted partner.

So why did Joseph look so betrayed?

“Get out of my room, Seb.” He snapped.

Sebastian stood, aching but he stood, bruised from fleeing the men guarding the building. Bruises from hiding out and waiting to see if Joseph was alive. You asshole.

Just because he had more important things to do, to plan than fucking Joseph? Oh, he could do that, he could play that game. He walked out of the room brushing past Joseph. That was fine.

Fuck him.

The door slammed behind his back and Sebastian turned around so fast and so angry he almost kicked the door open.

Fucking asshole. This was his fault. Sending Sebastian outside for his own protection? What the hell was going on? Being kept in the dark like this was already too much, but why the hell was Joseph here when Kid and Leslie were gone? And who was that third person if it wasn’t Joseph? How did he even get out? His temper got the better of him and he did kick that door open.

Then the shower cap made sense. So did the attitude, the recent freakouts and a lot of other small things that Sebastian had always found strange and mysterious about Joseph Oda.

Of course he wasn’t human.

Joseph’s eyes had widened impossibly and he had only just grabbed his towel when Sebastian slammed the door closed again. His heart was in his throat. Weird. It was weird.

Everything was not normal anymore. Nothing was normal anymore; all of this was too much. Did that mean Kidman was also-

Oh god, that made sense too.

Who else? How many?

What…

He needed a drink.

Sebastian went to Joseph’s kitchen and began opening his cabinets looking for anything with alcohol in it, anything that would help him cope with the weirdness taking over his world.

He found some cooking wine and struggled to open the bottle with his trembling fingers. He heard the door open and jerked so hard the bottle fell and broke. He stared at the broken shards, the growing puddle of red wine on the hardwood floors.

“Seb…”

Sebastian turned and s aw Joseph standing in the entrance way with a white t-shirt and a pair of boxers. There was a tail. His damp hair was uncombed and left loose with slick black cat ears on the top of his head. Sebastian looked away, he was frozen he couldn’t move from this spot. Joseph took a step toward him but Sebastian stepped back.

“Don’t. Just…don’t.”

He did though, he walked toward him with human feet, but that tail was swinging behind them frizzed with nerves. He smelled like the sea, probably just his body wash. Sebastian leaned away but Joseph took his hand, Sebastian shook him off. “Don’t.” he muttered, “Please don’t-” Joseph’s ungloved hands touched Sebastian’s cheeks so gently he might have imagined it. Joseph gently turned his face toward him and their gazes met. No glasses, hiding Joseph’s eyes away this time, and they were the same as always, dark pools of mystery, with flecks of green in them. It was weird. It was too weird.

“You’re…you’re not human.”

That hurt him, Sebastian could tell, from the way his gaze flickered away, how his grip on him slipped back and from his _ears_ which flattened. The panicked way his tail curled around his legs, just seeing it made Sebastian want to take it all back.

Did he? Sebastian tried to muster up some anger, anything, he’d been deceived by this thing that he thought was his friend. He’d been lied to for who knows how long!

But all that entered Sebastian’s head from the years they shared was that Joseph hadn’t gone on any dates in the times he knew him, he would go away on vacation but always alone, he never spent the night until recently.

Joseph had been alone since they met, and even after he’d always kept to himself.

Not because of OCD or not liking germs but because he wasn’t human.

Sebastian didn’t want to think about it anymore. It hurt him to know this now, to know that his friend who he held so dear had been so alone this whole time and he’d never noticed. Sebastian gathered Joseph into his arms in a sudden movement, just held him there. Joseph squirmed and tried to escape but he gave in eventually. Sebastian threaded his fingers through Joseph’s damp hair making sure to be careful with his ears. His other hand slid down Joseph’s back and brushed the root of his tail, he felt the skin around it curiously and Joseph jerked in his grasp.

Sebastian let go, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

“I’m…” he muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Joseph stepped back, carefully stepping around the glass, “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“You were right ot hide it from me, you know.” Sebastian said, “If it weren’t for Leslie I don’t think I would have…I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Joseph bit his lip and his ears betrayed his annoyance. Sebastian smirked, “Were you jealous? This whole time?”

Joseph looked surprised and his face colored so prettily. Sebastian wanted to reassure him, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mind petting you.”

Joseph’s lips curled, “You’re too rough.” He grumbled, “And clean this up, I was going to use that later.”

“For what?” Sebastian said pulling a towel out of one of the kitchen drawers.

“The celebration dinner,” He looked at Sebastian, “For when we save Leslie, Kidman and Ruvik?”

“Ruvik?”

“Reuben Victoriano.”

That name struck a nerve. “Wait, wasn’t he-?”

“I’ll explain everything later, but first we need to get them out of there.”

Sebastian watched him leave, forgetting all about the mess on the floor. It had been just like he had imagined, the real tail was much nicer.

 

a/n it took some time to figure out the right way for the big reveal. I think this is alright without being too dramatic. What did you think?


	8. Plans and Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brief respite, danger looms.

Whiskers chapter Eight

Normal.

  
  


Sebastian slept on the couch. Joseph didn’t sleep at all. He sat fully awake in bed staring at the ceiling aware of every sound, every smell, every detail of the dark room vivid in his mind. Tomorrow they were going to save Leslie and the others. Somehow they would come out of this alright, that was what he wanted to believe. He bit his lip to hide the smile ticking his lips. That he held such a positive thought was so new to him. As if saving his friends from a life of servitude and experiments was second to the fact that Sebastian _knew_. He knew and he accepted…he _accepted_ him. Joseph’s gaze moved to the door and he turned in bed to face it, he wanted to go to where Sebastian was and tell him the rest of his truth. He wanted to tell him about his…about how…he just wanted to say it out loud. He also wanted to crawl under the borrowed blankets and slide his hand into Sebastian’s pants. Before all this, such thoughts were rewarded with heavy self-loathing and a good, long jog outside and far away. But at this moment Joseph was so very happy he couldn’t bring himself to punish his brain for the fantasy. He sat up in bed and crept out of his room. He went to where Sebastian was sleeping and knelt down by the couch, he rested his head against Sebastian’s dangling hand and somehow sleep found him there, allowing him to drift away from his distractingly happy thoughts.

Joseph woke up to the sound of a door closing. He sat up lazily from his place on the floor and caught sight of Sebastian disappearing into the kitchen. He stood up immediately face flushing with shame. Sleeping on the floor like an animal? What the hell was wrong with him!?

“So this Ruvik guy, is he like you?” Sebastian asks stepping out with two bowls of cereal. He offers one to Joseph who declines, he found himself too nervous to eat. Sebastian waited for him to answer and Joseph realized he was shaking. His chest tightened and an instant later he felt the comforting warmth of his tail as it wrapped around his wrist.

Sebastian noticed, and he frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Joseph opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Sebastian stepped toward him but Joseph stepped back. He couldn’t do it. His heart was pounding and it became hard for him to breathe. Joseph slumped against the kitchen wall and Sebastian caught him before he fell. Joseph pushed at him trying to get away, his throat constricted in panic and Sebastian made the mistake of pulling him closer, wrapping his big arms around Joseph's trembling shoulders.

“Ow-shit!” Sebastian hissed shoving Joseph away.

Joseph stared at Sebastian for a single panicked moment looking at what he'd done. Sebastian's arms were bleeding sluggishly from scratches. Sebastian looked at his arms, and then at Joseph, “It's fine Jo-”

Joseph shuddered and left the kitchen, he went into Sebastian's room and picked out a large hoody and a pair of old winter gloves, Sebastian followed him there as he put them on.

“You know you don't have to do that around me anymore.”

Joseph nodded but didn't look at him, only put the new pair of gloves on his hands, “I know...It just...” he slid on his glasses, “It feels normal for me.” He stood and approached Sebastian, “I'm sorry about hurting you.” he said softly. Sebastian shook his head, “it's fine, you just surprised me.” he smiled at Joseph, the same kind of smile he gave Leslie. Joseph didn't know what to think about that.

Sebastian looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Now wasn’t the time, well, yesterday hadn’t been the time either. “Ruvik is like me.” Joseph said filling the awkward silence that had erupted between them. “He was planning to rescue Leslie before you and I did and he has…plans for us.”

Sebastian nodded in understanding, “And Kid, is she…?”

Joseph held back from answering, it wasn’t his place. But then again she had hidden herself from him and isolated them both. Perhaps he was allowed this small revenge. And then a thought appeared in his head unbidden. Kidman was a woman without attachment. Sebastian was divorced and not currently involved with anyone. He decided against it. Kidman already had the drop on him with Ruvik and Leslie.

“I’ll let her answer that question.” He said patiently.

The plan was simple and yet not simple at all. They knew they were at the hospital but not where. They didn’t know if they were under guard. They also didn’t know if they were still there, a whole evening and night had gone by. Time was passing and they had yet to figure out a way to know where they were. Joseph had an idea, but Sebastian might not like it. It was risky.

“I spoke to his sister, Laura. She had previously mentioned how I…” how to say this carefully, “I might make a nice pet.”

Sebastian’s eyes shook his head, “No way that's happening.” he said sternly.

“Alright, then we go in blind,” Joseph began; “Get caught by security and who knows, maybe they’ll kill us for fun?” He sighed, “Look, I don’t want to do this either, I despise that woman and the idea of a cage is…distasteful.” An understatement, “But it’s the only way.”

“And what do I do?” Sebastian bit out, “Wait by the car?”

“Sebastian don't, that was for your protection-”

“Since when do I need to be protected?!”

“Since...” Joseph stared at Sebastian, “Back then...I wasn't sure what would happen if you found out like that okay? I didn't know if you were going to shoot first ask questions later...”

“We've been partners for almost-”

“No,” Joseph interrupted, “Kidman was going to shoot you remember-”

“Kidman doesn't know me like you, did you really think I would pull my gun on you?”

Joseph glared at him from where he stood, “Is now really the time for this?”

“Better than later when-”

“Sebastian _please!”_

Sebastian sat back considering Joseph’s words. Joseph reached under his hood and scratched his ear, thinking about the best way to go about contacting that harpy.

“Where do you go every vacation?” Sebastian suddenly asks.

Joseph freezes, he looks at Sebastian and catches himself mid-lie. Wait, didn’t he want to lie about this? But Sebastian might understand-or he might not. Either way, he might get embarrassed and Joseph had learned a long time ago to take the small pleasures where he could get them.

“I….” He stammered, unable to give in to the desire to tease Sebastian at the expense of his own dignity. Sebastian nodded and crossed his arms, “Fine, I see how it is.” He had that stubborn look on his face, he knew exactly what he was doing, he was pushing and prying and trying to get on Joseph's nerves.

It pleased Joseph to know Sebastian was curious about him, as if not knowing certain things bothered him enough to ask but at the same time it ticked him off that he was being so petulant.

“Can we please agree to disagree?” Joseph asked, “I need you Seb,” he said softly, lowering his hood with trembling hands. It was weird to expose himself like this of all things, it made him feel dirty and manipulative. Sebastian was caught off guard when he did it, Joseph saw his hand twitch at his side. “When I go in, I'm going to need you to guard that back entrance we escaped through when we got Leslie,” he stepped close to Sebastian whose gaze was fixated on his tousled hair, “Seb?”

“Um...yeah.” Seb said, “Back entrance-” then he sighed loudly and glowered down at Joseph who smiled innocently, “Don't think this means it's over! When we get back then you're going to tell me everything!”

Joseph pulled his hood up and nodded, “Of course, also I think I still have her number from when she called me the first time.” Joseph said.

“You mean when you stole my car!?” Sebastian called after him with a grin.

An hour passed and Joseph and Sebastian were standing outside of a park filled with people. Sebastian looked uneasy, he was scanning the crowd but Joseph knew it was hopeless, he didn't know who to look for Joseph did.

He saw her now, standing by a crosswalk, her dark hair caught in a braid, she wore all black like she was in mourning. Joseph touched Sebastian's hand briefly, a sign, letting him know to get to the car and follow. Laura saw him approaching and smiled prettily at him when he came.

“You could have put in more effort,” she said frowning at his hood and winter gloves.

Joseph didn't answer, he followed her into the car, the smell hit him when he sat down. It was sweet, horribly sweet, it made his whole body thrum with pleasure and he saw her come in and sit down, felt her long white fingers slide off his hood and gently touch his ears. He cried out, he'd never felt someone do that to him before. Never knew it could feel like that. Her cool white touch slid across his face and neck, curling around the back of his neck. He moved without meaning to and slapped her hand away.

Her smile wasn't pretty anymore, he noticed in the blur that she was wiping blood off her hand, she stared at it with a glare, “Well, well, kitten has claws.” she grabbed him by the throat, “We'll just have to fix that won't we.”

Whatever smell had gotten to him had left him helpless, and when she grabbed his hand in a painfully tight grip he couldn't stop her. The pain was greater than anything he'd ever experienced, he wasn’t' sure if he was crying or screaming, maybe both. It was excruciating. She would squeeze a spot on his hand that would make his claw poke out and then she would...something sharp and snap! She was cutting too close, it hurt and Joseph couldn't stop her. The agony seemed to go on forever. He tried to stop her with his free hand but his limbs were so heavy he couldn't move them. He could feel her licking the blood off of his raw finger tips. He could see her red smile. Hear her gentle laugh as she hurt him, no, it was punishment. Suddenly it wasn't just her, it was Sebastian, he had just scratched him that morning, he could do the same thing- He looked for Laura but didn't see her, it was Sebastian holding his hand in his tight grip and ripping his claws out as punishment.

Joseph cried out his name, begged him to stop, Sebastian only laughed at him. Sebastian's' handsome face held such contempt, such resentment.

The pain became too great when he let go of one hand and picked up the other, and when the pain started all over again, Joseph was dragged into darkness.

_Sebastian had been standing in the kitchen when he saw Joseph standing outside talking on the phone. He'd urged Sebastian to wait inside while he took care of things. The thought of letting his partner walk into danger alone didn't sit well with him at all. They were supposed to do this kind of thing together, but just like back then Sebastian was being sent away, left behind because he was human and didn't understand. Well he understood kidnapping just fine, he understood threats, rich people with sick hobbies. Hell this whole hostage situation was just like another day at work-except there would be no SWAT team backing them up or any safety net of any kind. No. What Sebastian didn't understand was the secrets, the lies, sure, Joseph was scared, if he had revealed his secret before they'd met Leslie Sebastian couldn't honestly say what he would have done. He couldn't say he would have accepted him. It was Leslie though, how vulnerable he was, the mix of human and animal found a strange balance inside of that small blonde young man. A strange fragility, innocence but there was strength there. The will to survive, something he saw also in Joseph. Sebastian rubbed the cut on his arm, he'd cleaned it and put some ointment on, Joseph had been too embarrassed to help him with that. Joseph was like Leslie, but there was no innocence there, no fragility. Sebastian found that he couldn't separate Joseph like that, whatever balance Joseph had achieved with his nonhuman side was...invisible to him. Yet there he was, outside with his hoody on talking on the phone staring at nothing in particular, making deals for other people's lives and risking his own, formulating a plan that put everyone in danger except for Sebastian. Sebastian couldn't understand why._

_But then he thought back to that moment they had shared in his room, brief, heated, unexpected, it had touched something in Sebastian that he thought was gone._

_Maybe after this, if they were all okay by the end, maybe they could talk._

Sebastian had parked nearby, he had a perfect view of the car Joseph had gone into with that woman but when they came out and Joseph was dragged across the main entrance of Beacon Memorial Hospital he knew that it wasn't back up they needed, not anymore.

 

a/n thanks for the comments and reviews and yeah you all are great! :)


	9. Pale In Comparison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's goes to give his friends a fighting chance, but it might all be for nothing.

a/n apologizing for the delay is a poor excuse. I think there's probably 1 or 2 more chapters after this so maybe I'll see you soon?

 

Chapter 9: Pale in Comparison

 

Joseph woke up because the pain was too great. He tried to use his hands to sit up but his body seized up, someone grabbed him and pulled him up, he blinked in the low light of the room and saw Kidman’s worried expression as she grabbed his arms and pulled them to his front. He looked down and saw the dried blood that covered his hands and arms.

 

His hands had been butchered; the tips of his fingers were torn and bleeding sluggishly. “Jesus, Joseph, did she do this?” Kidman growled. Joseph shook his head, he groaned in pain and pulled his arms back, “No, it was…” it hurt to say the name but he forced himself, “Seb…” He whispered, “It was Sebastian.” He said it hoping he sounded confident, but at the expression on Kidman’s face, he wasn’t sure he was right.

“I came to find you…where are the others?” He whispered trying to distract himself from the stinging ache.

Kidman shook her head, “Leslie’s with…her. They took Ruvik somewhere else, I don’t know where.”

 

Joseph glanced at their surroundings; they were in a cell, probably used for violent patients from the look of the bars. The gated door looked sturdy but lack of use made for weak hinges, enough force could make quick work of it. He glanced at the darkened corners of the room, nothing but a gas lamp illuminated the only exit which was a lonely dark hallway. Kidman must have been waiting on him to wake up, she could have escaped long ago.

 

Joseph struggled to stand so Kidman helped him up. He gently shrugged her off, “We should go. We need to find Leslie.” He was resigned to it, at the very least he needed to get Leslie out of here. Even if there was nothing left for himself. He found himself thinking more seriously about Ruben’s proposal.

 

Kidman stood back and took off her steel heeled shoe. He watched as she slammed the heel of the shoe into one of the fragile, rusted hinges of the gate. It snapped off cleanly, he would have been surprised if he hadn’t been so thoroughly floored by the other secrets she’d hidden from him.

 

“Come on,” she whispered, she pushed the door aside with as much strength as she could without making too much noise.

They crept through the dark and into the empty hallway, and came near what looked like the main hall. Joseph stopped, “We need to get Leslie-“

Kidman shook her head and put her hand on Joseph’s shoulder, “We’re not leaving Ruben.”

“No, we’re not…” Joseph thinned his lips, splitting up was not going to end well, “Okay, you get Reuben, I’ll find Leslie.”

“Joseph,” Kidman starts, “Your hands...”

“I’ll be fine, she’s expecting me. Once you find him head to the east wing to the rec room, we’ll meet you there.”

“We?” Kidman says, “She’s expecting you?”

“She suspects I came here for other reasons…But I’ll make sure Leslie’s with me. Don’t worry about that.”

“Alright, good luck.” Kidman said, “We’ll get out of this Joseph.”

Joseph kept his eyes on the dark. He didn’t want to think about getting out right now, one step at a time. He felt the pain in his hands, recalled the haunting specter of Sebastian, his dearest friend pulling his claws out of his hands with a gleeful grin. “You too, Kidman. Be careful.”

 

 The guards would be quick work. Or at least that’s what Sebastian thought. He recalled when Joseph had hurt him before. An armored human with that kind of advantage wouldn’t be easy to fight. But he’d come armed and ready. He saw lights on in the east wing, it was good a place to start as any. He crept over the gate, and hid behind some bushes. There were just two of them; if he could just distract one then the other would be easy. He tossed a stone to a nearby spot and the first guard came to check. Sebastian used the darkness to his advantage and crept toward the distracted guard and caught him in a strangle hold from behind. Sebastian squeezed until the guard was unconscious, the other guard was smoking by the door, thoroughly distracted on his phone. Luck couldn’t have come sooner. Sebastian sped toward him and slammed his fist into the guard’s solar plexus, the shock of it making the guard gasp in pain and drop his phone and a pack of cigarettes. Seb finished him off with a fist to the face. Knocked out cold, he wasn’t going to need to cigarettes; Seb knelt down and snatched them up shoving them in his pocket. Joseph could bitch about it later if he wanted. Curiosity caught Seb when he saw the phone screen; he picked it up and swiped around until he found a map of the location, including the guard’s positions. His day truly couldn’t get any better, 

 

He slid inside the building silently, creeping through the halls and staying in the shadows. He listened to the guard’s conversations hoping for any hint of where the captives might be. He was hidden under a desk when he heard two guards speaking.

“Fucking cat; had to put him out again. Jones won’t let us just kill him, says the mistress wants her favorite kept safe.”

“What about us? Who’s keeping us safe? That motherfucker took the captain’s eye out! He shouldn’t be locked up in the fucking computer lab he should be fucking dead!”

“Shut up and just do what you’re told. Once she’s done here we’ll-“

Sebastian didn’t stay to finish the rest. He was close to the computer room! The idea of Joseph being ‘put out’ was deeply worrying to him so he followed the path the map led him down until he found the door. There was one guard at the door but before Seb could make a move there was a low thump and the guard was shoved back against the door and someone or something slammed something against the guard’s head. The guard collapsed onto the floor and the figure opened the door. It looked like a woman…Kidman!?

Sebastian followed the shadow inside and he heard hushed voices.

“It’s okay, it’s just me. Come on we need to go now!”

Sebastian swallowed thickly, “Kidman is that you?” he called out in a low voice. The figure stopped and turned, brandishing a weapon.

Sebastian used the light of the phone to illuminate the area where she was, he was startled, not by the sight of her brandishing her bloodstained shoe at him, but the slits in her eyes and the round ears atop her head. What the hell?

“Kidman?!”

“Sebastian!?” Kidman crept toward him, “Turn that shit off!” She hissed snatching the phone away and turning off the screen.

“Why are you here?!” She asked.

“I’m here to rescue you guys! Joseph got caught…I need to see if he’s okay.”

Kidman narrowed her eyes at him, “Caught? He’s in bad shape…said you did it.” her gaze was wary of him, but he knew that if she believed that he would have tasted the shoe in her hand by now.

“I saw them dragging him in here. He was supposed to come here as a guest but something must have happened. Is he here? The guards mentioned a cat they had to put out I knew it was him-“ Sebastian passed Kidman, “Joseph? Joseph it’s me Seb where are you?”

“Seb wait-“ Kidman said, “That’s not Joseph!”

It was too late, a hand shot out of the dark and grabbed Sebastian’s throat, “A human Kidman? Is he yours?”

Sebastian was choking and he felt claws pressing against the delicate skin of his throat. Before panic took control Kidman stepped in and caught the assailant and the hand withdrew.

“He’s mine. He’s helping. We’re taking him with us.”

“For now.” The stranger said and Seb could barely see him in the shadows but he backed away from him nonetheless. There was something dangerous about this guy. “Where’s Joseph?” Sebastian asked, “And Leslie?”

“Joseph said they were going to be in the east wing.” Kidman said moving past Sebastian to help the stranger up.

“East wing huh,” the stranger said, “What bad taste.”

“Quit being so dramatic, Ruben.” Kidman grunted, she was heaving the stranger’s…Ruben’s arm over her shoulder, “Let’s go.”

Sebastian had little to argue on that end as they walked together toward the exit. Don’t worry Joseph, I’m almost there.

 

The guards had caught him by the bathrooms, just a few feet from the east wing entrance. They’d handcuffed him and dragged him down the hall, they’d argued about where to put him but a report from another guard mentioning two unconscious bodies in the courtyard had the entire floor buzzing like an angry hornets nest. They would take him the Laura. Joseph didn’t fight it, didn’t worry about it because the two bodies in the courtyard were human. As long as Kidman was out there he’d be fine. She would find him and free him. He was dragged into a well-lit room. It hadn’t been cleaned, it smelled like must and mildew. It was the east wing recreation room. The white tiled floors were filthy, covered in dust and grime. The furniture that had stood in here for years undisturbed gave the room a haunted look. In a corner, in a cage big enough for a dog was Leslie curled up with his arms over his head. Standing beside it was Laura. She made a striking figure here in this worn out place, tall and willowy with her long black locks and pale skin. She drew her long red nails along the bars of the cage with a small smile, as if enjoying the sight of Leslie’s shaking form.

 “You treated him well, Jojo.” She started, “For that I have to say I’m grateful.”

Joseph was shoved forward; he landed harshly scraping his face on the dirty floor.

“Pick him up would you, I want him to see what I’m going to do.”

Joseph was scared; for once he was filled to the brim with fear. Her mere presence made his blood run cold. He wanted to drop all this and run, tell her to take the little brat and do what she wanted with him! His mind made sense of the horrible memories of Sebastian tearing him apart, it was her. It had always been her, she’d poisoned him and taken advantage of him. She’s ripped a part of him away and he would do anything to escape her.

The sound of fighting outside of the doors was what brought him back to sanity. He looked at her, really looked at her, she had Ruben’s eyes, like an icy wasteland.

“He shouldn’t be punished for my actions, Laura.” Joseph said trying his best to sound calm.

Laura’s face twitched, her eyes moving toward the door, she tilted her head and the guards went running guns in hand. Panic gripped Joseph’s heart, “He didn’t do anything…They…They didn’t do anything. Let them go.”

Laura laughed, she walked toward him soundlessly, the sound of gunshots echoing outside the room, Joseph flinched violently with each one. Kidman! Ruben!

“Sebastian!”

That was Kidman’s voice. The panic that flowed into Joseph overwhelmed him, he looked away from Laura and toward the door, tears filling his eyes. “Is he here? He’s not supposed to be here!” He bit his lip and turned to Laura, “Don’t kill him, bring him to me! Let me do it!” He cried desperation making his voice break.

“Let you…do what? He’s your friend is he not?”

“He is not my friend.” Joseph cried, “He’s human he’s not my fucking friend now bring him to me!”

Laura laughed, “Very well, this will be fun!” she called out to her guards, “Now, now boys! Wounded and maimed please!”

There was the sound of shuffling, the first one kicked into the room was Ruben, he stumbled into the light harshly, falling on his broken arm and crying out. Laura chuckled prettily at him. Kidman was brought in by a large brutish guard she was unconscious and bleeding. The guard dropped her unceremoniously on the floor next to Ruben who grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him with his good arm. He glowered at Joseph. Sebastian was brought in, bruised and beaten his arm twisted behind his back to keep him from fighting.

Laura smiled sweetly, “Now, Joseph, kill him please.”

 

Ruben had been cold, distant but gentle. He knew when they weren’t feeding him and often snuck food in for him. Ruben knew when Leslie was sad, so he brought him books to cheer him up…Candy to liven his day.

 

On good days Ruben would be the one to draw blood. Ruben would let Leslie sleep, he would let him rest and sit in the warm sun. He would sometimes not take his blood. He would take his own blood and tell Leslie that they had the same blood so the doctor’s wouldn’t be able to tell. Ruben, covered in burns, his ear all gone and his tail nothing but a stump under his lab coat. Ruben was Leslie’s whole world.

 

Sebastian was a human, Leslie was worried. Leslie let him in and suddenly he knew kindness from a human, all the things that Ruben gave him were doubled. He had a bed, he had food, and he had a warm hand touching his ears. He’d missed that.

 

Joseph was in pain, constant pain and Leslie wanted to help him. But right now, watching him right now, Joseph was dangerous. And if Joseph touched Sebastian Leslie would take it into his own hands.

 

“Let me kill him!”

 

Leslie started from where he’d been kneeling under Laura’s cruel stare. The click of her nails on his cage like nails on a chalkboard for him. The tinkle of her laughter was terrifying. They brought Sebastian in and Leslie held back his own cry, they can’t hurt him! They can’t hurt him!

He saw Ruben wounded and holding the woman Kidman in his grasp. And Joseph in the middle of it all with his arms behind his back, Leslie was too terrified to make sense of it all. With Laura in the same room this would only end in blood.

 

Sebastian looked at Joseph kneeling before him dirty and bruised. He wanted nothing more than to go to him. The look on his face was desperate however, and Sebastian wasn’t sure what to think of that.

 

“Go on then, kill him.” Laura said with bored wave.

“Kill who?” Sebastian asked, “Joseph?”

“You,” Joseph said, his brown eyes narrowed and dark, “I’m going to kill you.”

Sebastian struggled to move out of the guard’s grasp but he couldn’t. All the hope that he’d been holding onto was now falling through his fingers. “Why?”

Joseph laughed, “Why? Why do you think? You! Goddamned human!” Joseph spat, “You did this to me!” he ground out, “You’re the reason I have to torture myself to keep my job, to keep my home! You’re the reason I can’t…be with anyone! You’re the reason I can’t have a normal life and I have to hide all the time!” Joseph’s expression was broken, his voice ragged with rage, “I have to hide from everyone, from everything! And worst of all I have to pretend I’m one of you!” There were tears rolling down his cheeks, and despite the cruelty of his words Sebastian still wanted to be there to wipe them off Joseph’s face.

“Some days I want to rip your throat out,” the volume had left his voice, he looked exhausted, how long had he been holding back? “I want to tear into you like the animal I am, Sebastian.”

There is was, Sebastian flinched, it was in the way he said his name. He really meant it didn’t he?

“Joseph!” It was a soft voice, broken, but it caught their attention. It was Leslie.

“Don’t let her do it!” Leslie called, “Don’t let her hurt Sebastian!”

 

Joseph looked at Lelsie who was calling to him from his cage, he heard his words, it almost made sense. A little more sense than digging his teeth into Seb’s throat did. But Laura blocked him out, “Come on darling, you know you want to do it. Don’t hold back anymore.”

Joseph felt a knot in his chest and stomach, he wanted nothing more than to claw his way out of these cuffs, horrifyingly enough he recognized this feeling. It was so late in coming; it had arrived just in time however. The hormonal rage was being caused by his heat that had after long last finally began. He would have been locked away in a motel room downtown by now if it hadn’t been for all of this trouble he’d gotten into and now through the haze he could make sense of it all again.

“My handcuffs…Laura you took my claws…Just let me out, let me have him.” He struggled to keep the predatory tone away as much as possible, but it was incredibly difficult. His instincts were in overdrive, the minute he felt her cool grasp on his handcuffs and the twist of the key he head-butted her in the chest, pushing her back. That distraction was enough, the handcuffs were off and he launched himself at her, he vaguely noticed Ruben heading towards her as well in the corner of his eye. But for the first time his true nature overwhelmed him and all he knew was that he felt flesh under his teeth, his fingers tearing at her screaming face and hair with zero efficiency, he hoped it was as painful for her as it was for him. He was shoved back by Ruben who finished her off, clawing open her chest and ribcage, pulling out her heart with his bare hands.

 

Kidman woke up dazed, a terrible pain in her temple. There was screaming, a loud cracking sound and a moment later Ruben’s clear voice saying, “If you still want to get paid, you’ll put the human down now.”

She sat up and for a moment she thought she saw Joseph covered in blood. Was that Laura? Where was Leslie? She saw him in a cage and ignored everything else until she got to him. Damn kid, they’d been looking everywhere for him! She banged at the bars until she was pulled back by Sebastian of all people who opened the cage. She saw him, a human take Leslie who was sobbing into his arms. Cooing at him, calming him like a child. She had to admit she was surprised, she’d always thought Sebastian was more of a dog person than a cat person. She turned and saw Ruben with his broken arm limp at his side talking to the brute that had knocked her out and caught Sebastian, waving his arm around like he owned the place.

 

“What the hell happened while I was out?”

 

Sebastian sat down beside her with Leslie still latched onto him, “Well…Laura’s dead. Ruben is bribing the guards.”

“And Joseph?”

Sebastian shrugged, “He said he’d wait by the car.”

Kidman frowned, “And you let him?”

“Unconscious people don’t get to have opinions.” Sebastian grumbled, Leslie burrowed his face in Sebastian’s neck with his white ears ticking Sebastian’s face.

“What will you guys do now?”

“Rest…I need to find out what Ruben wants to do…Laura was his biggest benefactor, I need to know where our money’s going to come from now.”

“Benefactor? For what?”

Kidman frowned, “Right…Ruben’s got a place… a safe haven for people like us. We’re taking Leslie with us. And Joseph…once I can convince him.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything for a moment, “You might not need to…Do you guys have anywhere to stay?”

“Yeah, Ruben’s place…” she turned to Sebastian, bruised and battered he was a pretty good looking guy, she could see for a moment what Joseph saw in him, “We’ll come by in a few days. Say goodbye.”

She put a gentle hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, he nodded, “Got it.”

“Leslie,” Kidman said gently, “Sebastian has to go home. Don’t you want to see Ruben?”

That caught the kid’s attention, Leslie’s ears perked up and everything, he looked at Sebastian, “Will you be okay?”

Sebastian pet Leslie’s head like he was petting a real cat, Kidman couldn’t help the involuntary tingle in her own ears, “Right well,” she hoisted herself up, “Come on kiddo.”

Leslie gave Sebastian another tight hug and let him go, following her back to where Ruben was. He was giving Captain Jones, a knowing look.

“You have to admit this is a good deal.”

Jones narrowed his eyes, “I don’t like your kind.”

“You dealt with my sister, you’ll deal with me.”

“Your sister was human.”

“No she wasn’t. She just had a better plastic surgeon.” Leslie’s gasp caught Ruben off guard when he caught sight of him. “Good you’re here.” And that was all he said. Kidman saw the kid’s eyes and she noticed that it worked just as well as _“I’m so happy you’re alive.”_ For him.

She turned to see what Sebastian had done and noticed that he was gone. Fair enough, she would have to get used to not seeing him around soon anyway.

 

a/n chapter 10 is already written, just need to work on the ending.


	10. Born With a Broken Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Joseph finally clear the air.

A/N probably like 1-2 chapters left idk they aren't written yet. how about that new game huh, how about that fucker Stefano HUH? yas.

Chapter 10: Born With a Broken Heart

Sebastian found Joseph next to the car. He didn’t say anything, didn’t know if he could. He just opened the door and got in, when he turned the car on and Joseph hadn’t moved, he waited until the other man crawled into the backseat. Sebastian drove them both home in silence, he kept hearing those words over and over again. The blame, the anger, the pain that Joseph had inside him was so shocking to Sebastian. It was hard to look at him and not feel the sting of guilt, at his own ignorance. Sebastian wanted to think that if he’d known he would have done something. The fact that there was any uncertainty for that fact only made his guilt worsen.

When they arrived to Sebastian’s house, he stopped the car in the driveway. He took a moment since the last time he was here he’d been scolding Joseph for stealing his car. The knowledge that people like Joseph existed was daunting and Sebastian couldn’t help wishing he’d never found out. But then he thought of the night he brought Leslie back. Seeing those white fluffy ears for the first time, the trust in his small, pale face, and he regretted thinking that way. To go back would take Joseph back into whatever life he’d been leading up until now. Sebastian looked up at his rearview mirror and watched Joseph sitting in the back seat, his hoodie stained and torn, his beanie clutched tightly in his bloody hands. Those unnatural ears atop his head pressed down against his hair, a sign of anxiousness, of fear. Right then, Sebastian dearly wished he’d seen Joseph’s ears first.

“We’re back.” Sebastian said, breaking the silence. “Or…Did you want me to drop you off at your place?” He hated to ask, but he held back on his urge to force Joseph to stay, he’d already caused him enough misery. Joseph didn’t look at him, “It’s fine.” he said, his voice hoarse like he was in pain. “Are you okay?” Sebastian asked, strictly out of habit, with all they’d been through it’d be a long time before either of them was anything close to ‘Okay’.

Joseph nodded, “Yeah, I need to use your shower.”

Sebastian got out of the car and walked up the small stone path leading to the front door and Joseph followed. It was unnerving to see him like this, sure they’d had their fair share of scrapes, it was a hazard of the job. But for the victim’s blood to be on either of their hands was new, it wasn’t a comfortable feeling. They entered the house and Joseph wandered off into the dark without waiting for Sebastian to turn on the lights.

Sebastian stood alone in his living room wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have dropped Joseph off at his own place. He’d just ripped a woman’s throat open. He struggled against the automatic revulsion he felt for the action and forced himself to be more focused on how Joseph might be feeling. He turned the living room lights on and went to find Joseph. Joseph was scrubbing the blood and dirt off of his face and hands. Sebastian saw how badly Joseph’s hands were shaking, their scarred fingertips rubbing the skin of his neck and jaw until they were red. He let out a shuddery breath and put his pink hands under the steaming water coming from the sink and Sebastian had to step in. He couldn’t watch and no do something, “Hey, are you okay?” he reached out and took Joseph’s hands out from under the burning stream. Joseph paused and didn’t look at him, “I’m fine.”

“That’s a lie, you just killed someone with your bare hands.”

Joseph looked down at his hands clutched in Sebastian’s grip, he opened his palms, “Funny…I’ve wanted these for so long…”

Sebastian looked down and winced when he saw the scars, the same as Leslie’s, “Jesus Christ, what did she do to you?” Sebastian kept his hands in his grasp, those scars, Leslie was sensitive about his hands but he’d never met a cat that liked getting their paws-… He looked at Joseph for something, anything. Joseph caught his gaze and looked away, “I had…gloves on a lot...ever wonder why?” Joseph didn’t look back at him. Sebastian felt the guilt gnawing at his chest worsen, he honestly hadn’t he thought it was a case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Not claws, definitely not claws. He didn’t want to linger on that, Joseph was filthy they both were. “You’re welcome to take a shower. I’ll find something for you to wear.” He stared at the blood staining Joseph’s jeans and hoodie, “Throw those out.” And he left the bathroom. Not just to find some spare clothes for Joseph to wear, but to gather his wits, to catch his breath. To avoid succumbing to these feelings, the past few years hadn’t been easy, it was a lot of emotion that he had to deal with. His mind was relentless in its pursuit for why, when he needed to be focused on Joseph, what Joseph needed, wanted. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to hide a part of yourself like that. He’d always been completely honest with Joseph, always and to know this now created resentment, but also a feeling of possessiveness that he hadn’t known about before, a feeling of pride that he knew something about Joseph that nobody else did. God, he needed to get under control. 

He gathered a few of his old t-shirts and some sweatpants in his arms and walked back to the bathroom. As he stepped in he remembered walking in on Joseph drying his hair, those ears on his head sticking out like twin sore thumbs. This was altogether different; it was Joseph. He’d showered at work, at gyms before with other men in them but Joseph never had, no he had never worn anything less than a long sleeved shirt and slacks in his presence.

Here he was standing under a hot shower, steam rising under him, his lean, lithe body exposed to Sebastian’s gaze. He was pale all over, and at his lower back just above his tailbone was just that, a black cat’s tail. It curled around his thigh snug and hidden. Sebastian looked away, put the pile of clothes on the top of the closed toilet. He straightened up and Joseph had turned off the shower and turned toward him. Sebastian kept his eyes on Joseph’s face, suddenly unsure, lost on what he was going to say before. He swallowed thickly, “Thanks, Seb.” Joseph said softly. Sebastian nodded, “Yeah, any time.” Joseph took of the big sweat shirts Sebastian had brought and put it on. “Shit.” He heard Joseph say, he looked and saw there was blood on one of the sleeves Joseph wiped at it with one hand but made it worse. Sebastian went to him and took his hand and noticed the scars on his fingers were bleeding sluggishly. “Shit, come with me I have some supplies in my room.”

Joseph followed quietly, neither of them saying anything about holding hands. Sebastian told Joseph to sit down while he gathered the emergency kit he had in his dresser. Once there he sat beside Joseph and began to clean and bandage his fingers. “I’m sorry…about…all of it.” Sebastian whispered, finding distraction in treating Joseph’s hands but needing to fill the silence. “Don’t be,” Joseph said, “It’s not your fault I was…afraid.”

“But if I had been more-“

“I know that I said a lot back there, Seb…And a lot of it was true.” Joseph bit his lip, “But it was also to distract her…I can’t blame anyone else for my decision to try and be human.”

Sebastian reached for Joseph’s other hand, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Joseph now, he couldn’t hide the guilt gnawing at him but at the same time he felt…it was something too complicated to name just yet but it burned in the pit of his stomach like acid.

“You’re fine the way you are.” Sebastian muttered, not sure if it helped. One person wasn’t the whole world. He started to bandage Joseph’s second hand and something caught his eye, he glanced at Joseph and caught him mid stare, he looked shocked. Joseph blinked and looked away, “That’s…That’s enough for me…” Joseph whispered, “All I wanted…was someone who…who…” he bit his lip, “Someone who knew.”

Sebastian was half done bandaging Joseph’s hand when Joseph dropped his head against Sebastian’s shoulder, leaning into him gently, almost shy. Sebastian reached for Joseph’s other, unbandage hand but thought better of it. He wound up threading his fingers through Joseph’s damp hair, uncurling some of the hair around his ears.  Joseph let him, and he wasn’t sure what else to do. Joseph was always so…distant. He didn’t let anyone touch him, but Joseph had revealed the biggest reason for it. Reasons that is, he wasn’t human. Sebastian wondered though, if his personality was also part of that. With that said, for Joseph to be doing this, leaning against Sebastian, wearing one of his shirts, with no pants on, was surreal. Sebastian surprised himself by feeling pleased with the chance to provide comfort for him. Sebastian curled his hand around the back of Joseph’s neck, another hand on Joseph’s arm, he was glad Joseph was feeling better, but he needed to tend to his own wounds, he needed to wash off the dirt of that place. Also a little space was a good idea; give Joseph a chance to put on some pants. He’d been beaten to a pulp and was currently more bruise than human and Joseph seemed well enough right now. Sebastian leaned away and he felt Joseph’s tail gently caress his wrist and chuckled. “Hey, there.” He turned his head toward Joseph whose face was now buried in his neck and breathed in a sweet, sweet scent. Holy fuck that smelled good. Joseph sat back touched his unwrapped hand to Sebastian’s arm, “I can do the other hand, it’s your turn to shower.” He looked at Sebastian with a tired expression and a small smile, and his damp messy hair, his ears flicking off stray drops of water. In that moment Sebastian could only think how good he smelled. It was just like last time, something about Joseph was…turning him on. “Yeah, your hand….fine…”

In his mind, Sebastian was already up and walking out of the room, away from that warm, sweet smell. Physically, he grabbed Joseph’s face with both hands and kissed him. Joseph’s body was deliciously warm and Joseph leaned into him in response, damp and smelling like heaven. Sebastian knew they were supposed to talk about this, he knew he needed to act like an adult and this wasn’t the right time. But Joseph had been suffering for so long, hell both of them had been and Sebastian wanted, needed respite and he wanted to give Joseph something…anything that would give him comfort. 

The fact that Joseph was male should have been more daunting but there was an allure about him. Something that had grabbed hold of Sebastian, Joseph inspired feelings in him like he’d been starved for decades and put in front of a feast. Joseph led Sebastian’s hand between his legs with his bandaged hand and sweet Jesus, men’s bottoms weren’t supposed to do that were they? God, who cared? Sebastian grabbed Joseph’s hips and shifted him forward sliding his mouth from Joseph’s lips to his jaw and throat. He licked his way along Joseph’s jaw following what tasted sweet with mouth and tongue, the taste of his skin woke something primal in him, Sebastian had never tasted anything like it.

A few brief moments of blindly unbuttoning his pants and hastily hoisting Joseph’s legs over his forearms Sebastian was sliding deep inside of Joseph’s body, it was almost too easy. Joseph tangled his hands in Sebastian’s neck, breathing hard, his moans escaping with each strangled breath as he tried to stay balanced. All the while Sebastian held Joseph’s body close, both hands gripping Joseph’s sides controlling the pace of his thrusts, controlling the pace of Joseph’s hips and dragging him deliciously along the length of his cock.

Sebastian dared to look at Joseph, seeing his inhuman features, those damp, pitch black ears atop his head, his tail twisting wildly around one of his arms, God it turned him on so badly he couldn’t believe it was real. Unable to bear the delicate touches of Joseph’s fingers, the heat of his breath against his ear, Sebastian shoved Joseph onto his back. He pinned his arms above his head and buried himself in Joseph’s body pounding hard against him relishing Joseph’s strangled cries.

 Joseph’s legs wrapped tightly around his waist and his hips moved in sync with Sebastian’s, body slick and hot. That same heat burned its way through both of their bodies fueling Sebastian’s urgent movements as he thrust demandingly into Joseph’s ass, relishing in the high, breathless sounds that left Joseph’s mouth each time. Both of them were ensnared and entangled with pleasure until the final moments, when it all grew to be too much. Sebastian’s hips stuttered as their climax wrapped itself none too gently around them both and pulsed violently through both of their bodies. Joseph convulsed against Sebastian’s body, his orgasm seeming to electrify him. Sebastian followed feeling his own ending sucked from him by Joseph’s body that tightened and loosened through their shuddering release. Feeling like the breath had been sucked out of him Sebastian controlled his descent. He pulled out gently and collapsed beside Joseph, making sure not to hit his head on the bathtub. He stared at the ceiling his thoughts draining out of his head with each breath. He let the blissful afterglow drive away the looming panic for the moment.

He glanced at Joseph who lay panting and flushed, for a moment he couldn’t believe what had just happened, still breathless and exhausted he shifted closer to brush shoulders with the other man, felt the warmth of Joseph’s tail curling over his naked thigh. Joseph was staring blankly at the ceiling, eyes wide, soft mouth parted. 

Sebastian swallowed thickly, “Say…was this…”

“Stop talking.”

Sebastian felt a twinge in his chest and sat up on his elbows, “Wait, was this really the-“

“Shut up!” Joseph glared at him, glasses finally slipping off his face, “Don’t say it!”

Sebastian didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh in pure glee or to try again, prove to Joseph he could do it better.

A brief glance between Joseph’s legs showed that youth really did trump experience.

“It’s been like 15 seconds.” Sebastian said in awe, Joseph sat up with a grunt and covered himself as best he could. “It’s…I just…so…” Joseph bit his bottom lip and Sebastian resisted the urge to kiss him again. He breathed in deep to gather some control but it wasn’t happening, he was trying to pull his pants back on to gather his thoughts and take his eyes off Joseph for a second.

“I’m not human Sebastian.” Joseph said in a prim tone, “And…I have…these…things…” the scent in the room was thickening and Joseph’s voice was like music to Seb’s ears and he could feel it like fingers touching the side of his neck prickling him. Joseph went on about some sort of seasonal period he experienced, “What like a woman’s period?”

He didn’t look at Joseph to see his reaction, to his words and other reasons. Joseph stood up quickly and walked out of the room.

Sebastian sat in there alone, trying to breath, trying to urge his hardened cock back to normal.

He thought he’d gained a modicum of control but when he glanced at the door Joseph had come back, still flushed, now completely fucking naked. Sebastian sat up turned on all over again at the sight of him.

Joseph looked lost, he walked back toward him and Sebastian pulled off his shirt and met Joseph halfway, pulling him in and kissing him passionately. Joseph tangled his fingers in Sebastian’s hair, “Oh, Oh god, you don’t get it.” he mumbled licking the underside of Sebastian’s jaw. “Get what?” Seb asked, he let Joseph straddle him, moved his hands along the length of Joseph’s sides and hips. Sebastian’s fingers moved almost automatically to Joseph’s round ass and cupped his cheeks, squeezing and pulling gently.

Joseph let out a low, sultry sound, the smell of him was so strong and hypnotic he almost didn’t hear what Joseph said.

“You did what with my shirt?” he asked dazed. Joseph kissed him, “Never mind that, it’s not as good as the real thing.”

When Joseph sank himself down on Sebastian’s cock for the second time Sebastian didn’t care about the shirt anymore, fuck the shirt. 

What woke Sebastian was his ringtone, annoying and loud and wasn’t it a weekend? He opened his eyes and saw Joseph’s sleeping face. The sight filled him with something he hadn’t felt in years.

He sat up and found the phone at the foot of his bed and answered it, “Detective Castellanos.” He said in a stern tone.

“Seb, it’s Kid. We’re outside, open the door.”

Sebastian was about to ask what she wanted, why she was outside and remembered that Joseph was going to leave with her and Leslie to Ruben’s Neverland Ranch for Wayward Kitties. 

He expected to feel upset and he had expected to feel remorse. Not this profound feeling of loss.

He turned to Joseph still fast asleep. “Right, I’ll be there in a minute.”

He hung up the phone and put it down, he didn’t have the right to ask Joseph to stay, he didn’t have the right to say anything on the matter. But he couldn’t help but think he didn’t want Joseph to leave.

 

 a/n it was a long time coming, like legit three rewrites for this. just so you know this story was supposed to be a romcom with hijinks and shit. fml and my love for drama.


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